Ripped from the Headlines: Free Flying
by mandymld
Summary: I wrote this story and put it away because it didn't speak to me saying it wanted posted. Then during the Olympics a little boy in Manchester England got onto a jet plane without a ticket or a passport. The jet was flying to Rome.It awakened the muse in me, so I took what happened in Manchester to combine that idea with my original story.
1. Chapter 1

I wrote the idea of this story a while ago, put it away because it didn't speak to me saying it wanted posted. Then during the Olympics a little boy in Manchester England got onto a jet plane without a ticket or a passport. The jet was flying to awakened the muse in me, so I took what happened in Manchester and the comments that were under the article to combine that idea with my original story.

**Ripped from the Headlines  
Free Flying**

Jason saw his almost biggest mistake walking his way as he escorted a pregnant Sam towards Kelly's. The mother of Sonny's child had been asking him how to deal with her husband and all he wanted to do was tell her that Lucky Spencer was an ass, but instead he just said for her to talk to both Sonny and Lucky and come to a compromise.

Grimacing when Courtney Cassadine stopped them and made a point of insulting him, then turning to Sam and greeting her, he was about to leave when he heard his sister calling out his name. "Jason!"  
Thankfully escaping the two women who were now discussing Laura Webber's sons, he greeted his sister with a hug and said "Thank you for the rescue."

"I wouldn't need to save you if you stopped letting Sonny make you deal with his own personal problems, since the day you came back from the dead, you have been the one stuck dealing with his messes." she scowled as she looked over at the the blond and the short brunette.

"Its more that I feel sorry for Sam." he said with a shrug. Sonny had gotten together with the woman after yet another fight with Carly. It had ended in a disaster because of Courtney's ex-husband Ric Lansing. He had found out that Sam was pregnant with Sonny's child and Carly had in a fit of rage had demanded that Sonny kill the woman.

Now, Carly had moved to South America with her latest husband, Lorenzo Alcazar after Michael had refused to go and from the sounds of it, other than missing Michael was happy. Michael himself was happy, he had ended up with the Quartermaines and now at sixteen was a normal teenager.

Unfortunately, while Sonny had been dealing with Sam, he had found out he had a son back in Bensonhurst and with the loss of Michael had somehow reconnected to his ex-lover and was now living on his island most of the year.

Except when he came to town to see his two daughters, Kristina who following in her mother's footsteps, ignored the former mobster and Danielle, Sam's kid. The problems began when he was gone and demanded to be allowed to see the young child and didn't seem to accept that Sam had primary custody.

When she had begun to date Lucky Spencer, it had gotten even worse. Jason had gotten an earful at that time of things he had should have been told years before regarding the way Lucky had acted when he had returned after being brainwashed and the real reason that Elizabeth Webber had fled town and never came back.

Jason had even gone so far as to go to confront Carly, only to realize that the blond felt no sense of guilt for her lies, no sense of having been at fault for why Elizabeth had fled town back in 2001. Sonny had been embarrassed but then had admitted to Jason that he had had more important things on his mind then Lucky Spencer's girl friend.

Except that Sonny was the one person who knew that Elizabeth HADN'T been Lucky's girlfriend at that point other than Jason, who had known about the relationship that had begun between the beautiful young artist and the former enforcer.

And when it had been pretty convenient to Sonny to recall the abuse she had taken at the hands of the idiot Spencer boy, he had brought it up in court while trying to gain sole custody of his daughter.

The judge had rejected his bid, pointing out that Spencer had gotten treatment for his damaged brain when his family had forced him into therapy. Jason wasn't positive he believed that but so far Spencer had never acted out again.

What had been left out was that that had only happened after he had attacked Elizabeth who had fled that May. Jason still felt sick at having learned the truth. To him that had been the perfect winter and spring. He had come to town to find out who the inside men were that Sonny's enemy had at their warehouses and had been using Elizabeth's studio as a hiding place.

No one but Sonny had known he was there, that Elizabeth and he had grown close as she had softly explained to her more than friend that Lucky had come back distant and that they were barely close in spite of what her ex and his family believed.

Elizabeth had been working with Dr. Keven Collins to deprogram Lucky who was being controlled by Helena and had needed to escape. Jason had been happy to be the person she had trusted to do that to.

It had all come to a head on Valentine's night, Elizabeth and Kevin Collins had staged an intervention with the Spencers and others who were close to Lucky. All had denied there was something wrong with the young man, until he had walked in, seen what he had believed was his family turning against him and had pulled a knife.

Like usual the Spencers had been in denial, but Audrey Hardy and several of the others including Mac Scorpio had seen the truth. Lucky had been hauled away by force to get treatment. Elizabeth had returned home to her studio to the smell of burnt coffee and the Port Charles fire department checking for any smolder fires as they made sure that the warehouse would do no more damage.

She had been frantic about Jason, and his guard had been relaxed by exhaustion as he had returned, aching and filthy to the studio, not expecting Elizabeth to be there. She had thrown herself into his arms, then seeing him wince, had insisted on helping take care of him in spite of his protests.

That night, after a large bout of honesty, they had admitted that they loved one another. They had celebrated that love by coming together for the first time. Over the next two months, things had been kept quiet out of fear of the danger from Sonny's enemies, but in that small studio the truth about their feelings had given them a sense of intimacy that had Elizabeth feeling like she was walking on air... but that was only in private because meanwhile she was dealing with the mess created by Helena and the Spencers.

In the middle of April, when they had found out who had been after Sonny, Jason had reluctantly gone to deal with things, meanwhile they had had no idea the danger lurking as Helena had unexpectedly helped the Spencers get Lucky out of the hospital.

While most of the town was caught up in the danger from Helena, Lucky had come looking for Liz to her surprise at Kellys with the letter she had written and not sent to him, having blamed her for his time stuck in Roselawn. After Lucky had trashed the diner, Liz had escaped and believed she was safe after a call to Luke, but Lucky had seen her at the pharmacy mere hours later and had followed her home.

What had happened next had several different variations, depending on which side of the mess you were on. Jason heard all of them, but not the truthful one, if he had, he would have killed Lucky Spencer and too many people had a vested interested in his not doing so, so they all for their own reasons, either wanted to believe the lie or blatantly lied to Jason.

The Spencers version that Jason had heard said that Helena had forced Lucky to attack Elizabeth who had been hurt but not badly. When she had refused treatment at General Hospital and had insisted on going to Mercy, no one had any idea why. At least at the time, the very next day, she had gone missing; everyone had believed that either Helena or Lucky had killed her. Only when she had called her grams and told her that she had gone into hiding had those charges been dropped.

Mac told Jason he had wanted to press charges for the assault and had Elizabeth's backing, but Alexis Davis had plea bargained Lucky down on mental defect and he had spent little more than a few months in Roselawn again.

Then had come the calls from the Spencers to Audrey Hardy explaining how Lucky needing Elizabeth and how she had owed him to help him. After Lucky had been released it had been how Lucky still loved Liz and how he regretted what had happened. Mrs. Hardy had stayed firm and had avoided contact with her granddaughter to protect her from the dangers she still felt Lucky posed. Then she herself had gone away.

For most of the town, they were still very wary of Lucky until Jason had came home. All had believed that he had been the one to help Elizabeth escape, after all Luke had believed it to be true. Nik had been publicly claiming so for almost three years and since the late Audrey Hardy had never said any differently more than a few people believed it to be true.

When Jason had seemed to be forgiving of Lucky, when he had been seen being if not friendly at least polite, all had been forgiven. What none had known was that until the day in court that Sonny's attorney had brought up what had happened, Jason had been in the dark about Lucky's beating of Elizabeth.

When he had confronted his family about it, AJ had been the one to tell him what was believed. "And none of you had thought to ask me about Elizabeth?"

With eyes that hadn't met his, Emily had explained that Sonny and Carly had believed it too and that Carly had been the one to tell her that things between her former friend and Jason had ended badly and that it might be kinder not to mention Elizabeth to him.

"Since when do you believe a word Carly says?" he had asked his brother.

AJ had swallowed hard then gave him what he hadn't known until then. "Jason, uh, I am sorry but when you came back and were suddenly around Sonny's sister all the time, well, uh, she said that you told her that you never loved Elizabeth and that she had betrayed you by falling in love with another man."

Jason who had always had a cordial relationship with Courtney, other than lapse that had resulted in a one night stand had been shocked and had left his family and gone to confront the blond who had bewilderingly told him that that was what Carly had told her. When he had harshly told her the truth, she had burst into tears then had called him several foul names, saying that she knew their night together had meant more to him then that.

Carly hadn't denied it when confronted, had openly admitted that that was what she had believed to be true, that she had always known that Elizabeth Webber was trouble and that Jason was much better off with Courtney, and that if he had only opened his eyes back then, all of them would have been happy.

When Jason had demanded if that was all of her lies, he had not been surprised to realize that there was something else, he could see it in her eyes, but she had denied knowing what he was talking about and he had gotten nothing else from her.

Sonny however out of guilt, had admitted that Elizabeth had contacted him a few times looking for Jason after he had left to take down Moreno, but that he had told her Jason would contact her when he was ready.

"I swear, Jason, I had no idea that Carly was telling lies like that. When you came back, and things just seemed to settle down like they did, uh, I just figured that things hadn't worked out between the two of you and that you were moving on." said the Cuban conveniently forgetting that he had told her Jason was dead.

Jason had gone out with a few women, nothing serious but looking back, he began to wonder about the letter Elizabeth had left him in the studio and why she had contacted Sonny.

"Jase, hey, Jason where are you?" chuckled Emily when he seemed to be lost in his own mind.

Seeing him mentally returning, she rubbed his arm, things with Jason had been off for the last few years, he had come and gone from town with a frequency that had all of the family worried. Here he was, an almost forty year old man and his only serious relationship had been with Robin Scorpio right when he had woken up.

"I was...it was nothing. Emily, I have to go." he said and quickly left to drive to his house. None in town knew that he had bought Audrey Hardy's place when the elderly woman had passed and the last of that family had sold the house.

He had bought it, wanting one last connection to Elizabeth. He had tried to date, had tried to move on, but since learning the truth about what Lucky had done to her five years before had been searching for her, certain she had never sent him the letter in spite of the best forgers in the world telling him it was her writing and that it was written in her sen text.

Until he heard the words directly from her lips, some part of him would never accept that she didn't love him anymore. In the house, resting his head against the fireplace, Jason kept thinking of how she had written that she didn't know him anymore and how she felt it was for the best for him to move on. That she had fallen in love with someone else.

The letter had been unsigned, his name was no place on it, but he HAD found it sealed in an envelope in his African travel guide at her studio when he had returned. A studio that had looked no differently than the day he had left, minus the beautiful brunette who had left him.

Elizabeth looked around her studio, amused to realize that her son was right and that they needed to go to town. Sometimes Cameron reminded her so much of his father that she found herself aching at the pain still buried in her heart.

"Mom, are you ready yet?" he asked as he entered the sun room, a gangly ten year old with curly dark hair and eyes that were dancing with mischief as she picked up her purse.

"Yes, okay now what are the rules?" she asked as they traveled to the Land Rover in the driveway.

"No taking off and if we get separated go to the coffee shop." he said with a roll of his eyes and a sense of guilt in his heart at what he had had planned. Thanks to the letters his mom had shown him, he now had half the answers to his questions, but he still needed to do this, still needed to find out why they had lied to him.

In town, Elizabeth watched in the bookstore as Cam looked at the travel guides, picking out a new one to read and then quickly paying for it while she watched diligently from the entryway. Next up was the small general store and then finally they were on their way to Rome where she would pick up her art supplies and drop off the four paintings to her art dealer.

Hearing her phone ringing, she hit the button to answer it and heard her brother asking if she was going to come to Russia for Christmas that year. "No, Steven. I promised Cam that we would do what he wanted this year."

"And just what is that?" he asked amused, his nephew had come up with some doozy ideas of how to celebrate the holidays, including a few years ago at the age of seven when he had wanted to go to the North Pole.

"I don' t know, but he said it would be at what should be our home." she said looking into the back seat where her son was wearing headphones and listening to some sort of CD. "Anyhow, tell Sarah I said hello and I will be sending out my presents early."

"If you change your mind, let me know, after all it is only the middle of October, I can always get you tickets." he stated then hung up.

Elizabeth wanted to remind her brother that she was doing well enough that she didn't need anyone's help but just let it go, knowing that to Steven she was still that broken and bruised girl he had help escape from the Spencers and Port Charles.

Looking back at her son, Elizabeth felt sick that his father had died before he had gotten to know him. That his family had denied Cam had made things even worse as far as she was concerned. Her sweet innocent little boy had grown up without his dad and she only had a few mementos of him to pass on.

When his eyes came up to meet hers in the rear view mirror, Elizabeth smiled at the concern on his face and swallowed her pain and released her anger, knowing that really all Cam needed was her.

Delivering her paintings, she was in the back of the art store, ordering the supplies that were to be delivered when she realized that Artuero and she had been discussing them for almost a half hour.

"Artuero, I have to go, Cam is going to be getting antsy."

"He is fine." lied the handsome Italian, "I had my assistant take him to get a gelato."

That surprised Elizabeth but when she went to the front of the store, he and the other man was gone, so returning, she just told him to ask her first from now on before going back to discussing what she needed for the next few months.

Artero was in heaven, he had been trying to gain the attention of the bella American, but she had always brought her young son in with her. He knew that most artists considered their children an inconvenience, after all he had been more than happy to leave his behind with his wife when he had claimed that the country air was better for them.

When he asked her to lunch as she paid for her supplies, Elizabeth politely turned him down, frowning when his assistant returned without her son. "Where is Cameron?"

"Who?" asked the assistant as he took in the frown on the woman's face.

"My son, the boy you took to get geleto?" she asked as she began to realize that the dark haired man behind the counter was looking annoyed.

"You must be mistaken, Ms. Hardy, I did no such thing." he said as he looked at his co-worker with a frown. "I just went to the plaza to meet with my family."

"But Artero said..." Elizabeth looked at the store owner and saw his reaction and realized he had lied to her. "Why, why would you tell me that he took my son to get ice cream?"

"Artero, you lied to Ms. Hardy?" asked the other man who as a father himself knew the fear she was feeling. "I will help you look, bella."

"I uh, I have to find my son. Its been almost two hours." she said her hands shaking as she went to their meeting place and was handed a note by their favorite waitress. Reading it, she felt her knees give way. All it said was he was sorry but he had to find out the answers to his questions.

Artero's assistant Paulo called the police even as Elizabeth realized she had no idea what questions and that she had no idea where her son was. The gardo arrived and within minutes had taken a copy of her photo on her phone of her son. "What about his father, Ms?"

"Cam's father is deceased." she said her heart beating wildly. "Cam knows that."

"Where would he go, little boys are often adventurous." stated the Italian police officer who sent another of his coworkers to go and question this art store owner. He had heard of this man and his extra martial games.

It was another four hours, during which Elizabeth called Steven who said he would be on the first flight out of Russia before the police put out the Italian version of an amber alert.

The officer sat with the beautiful young mother who was frantically trying to figure out where her son was. He had checked into her background, had learned that she had moved to Rome several years before with her brother. That there was a good chance that the father of her little boy had been abusive.

The art store owner had been told off by the captain of the guard himself for lying to the young woman about her son's whereabouts and informed that they would be keeping a close eye on him. The assistant had gone home to his family, Paulo having had his wife bring a small meal for the frantic mother.

"Miss, does your son have a favorite place?" asked the officer as he wrote down everything she was telling him.

"No, yes, he reads travel books, he wants to go all over." she tried to explain.

"Maybe he went to the airport to look at jets, or the train station to see the trains?" he asked hopefully as he ordered his minions to head out to look for the young man.

"Cam has already flown before, same with train travel. I have taken him all over the place." Elizabeth was growing frantic, what if it was Lucky, what if he had found them and was going to do what he swore to do all those years ago. What if he had made her son write that letter?

That gave the man an idea and said "Would he have access to enough money to travel to his favorite spot somehow?"

"No, he is only ten." she cried out just as Steven arrived looking bedraggled as he had come straight from the airport. "Where is Cam, why would he do this and what answers?"

"Elizabeth, calm down." said Steven sitting down with her. "Tell me about your day. What did you and Cam do today? Or rather yesterday?"

That had Elizabeth sobbing as she realized her son had almost been missing fourteen hours.

Regaining control as she went through her day, Steven stopped her and said "This travel guide you bought at the American book store, where was it for. Maybe it was for here in Rome?"

"No, it was for New York City." she said with a slight sob still to her voice. "He wanted to begin reading about the states. I have his passport, how could he go there?"

The gardo captain agreed as his men began to report from the various spots she had given him around town. "Sir, no one has seen this little boy here in Rome."

After several discouraging reports, he got a call from the main train station in Rome. "Sir, I think I saw your boy. Was he wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans?"

Turning to the boys mother, he asked if the boy could have a sweatshirt like that since she had described him as having worn a dark green long sleeve shirt. "Yes, it was in the SUV. We keep it there in case of an emergency and he gets cold."

Talking to the train station maven, he kept nodding then asked what train the boy had gotten on. With a sigh of relief he said "Thank you."

"Ms Hardy, he went on the train west to the Fiumicino _Airport._ They are faxing me a photo of him being seen on camera." he said just as his men brought the picture in. Elizabeth confirmed it was Cam then was told that they have him on the train all the way to the airport.

"We will head out to the airport, Ms. Hardy." he said leading her to his his unmarked car along with her brother. "He can't get far now that he is there without a passport or money for a ticket." he stated confidently.

Cam was careful to stay close to the other children as the flight attendant passed by. With a smile, she offered him some peanuts and a blanket then asked if it was the first time he and his siblings had flown.

When he lied and said yes, she brought him back a soda wondering how it was possible that it was the youngest of the children was the only one who spoke English, but he hadn't been screaming about being kidnapped, had in fact been playing with the other children and had been sharing his game system with his slightly older brother.

Shrugging it off when she asked her coworker to check the passports and was informed that all was in order and had been scanned and verified, she just went back to her duties as they got close to landing in New York City's JFK airport.

__In Rome, the guard captain had led the way to the security room and overrode their protests about having civilians in there by telling them about her missing son. All had begun to work the computers until a dark haired woman announced. "I have him, at the International terminal. It was difficult  
because he took that sweatshirt off."

Elizabeth saw her son on camera and saw that he looked fine then saw the time stamp. "Wait, this was almost twelve hours ago."

"Yes, but now we can track him." promised the woman as she followed the boy through the terminal on her computer screen. Soon finding him at the International hub for United, they were all stunned as they watched Cameron after getting checked at security get on a jet bound for the states.

"How could that happen?" asked the man in charge of the airport as he spoke to the head of United Airlines in Europe. "A ten year old boy got on one of your jets without a ticket, without a passport.  
How did this happen?"

"I don't know." said the man in shock as he looked at the footage sent to him. "Why would he just get on a jet?"

Elizabeth felt her knees give way as she watched her son just walk into the jet by himself after smiling at the gate attendant.

"Wait, I might have something." said the man in Geneva. Taking the paperwork, he looked at it then said "It appears that a flight attendant was concerned it might have been a kidnapping when the young man in question spoke such excellent English but there is a family on board, with seven children. Somehow this young man was believed to have been part of that."

There was some muttering about incompetence but Elizabeth was now blaming herself in spite of what was being said.

"We will make sure that he remains on the jet and will have him back in Rome in nine hours..." The man covered the phone when his second in command entered the room looking white. "What is it?"

"The jet landed two hours ago, according to the American TSA, this boy got out of the airport. They have no idea where he is." he replied.

Elizabeth was given the news that her young son was now someplace in New York City and felt her heart stop. Steven held his sister as the tears began to flow. "Ms. Hardy, we will put you on the next flight to the city. Mr. Webber, can you go with her?"

"Yes, Elizabeth where at the house are your passports?" he asked his sister. Getting the information and handing her off to the police captain who said he would stay with her until her brother got back.

"Do you want me to call my old contacts, get the news out?"

"Oh god, no. What if Lucky were to find out. Steven, I told you what he threatened." she said now terrified that her son was so far away and that she would be unable to speak to anyone who could help.

"What about the Quartermaines?" Steven asked almost desperate for a way to get them help.

"You know that they reacted when I told them I was pregnant." she said sobbing. "There is no one in Port Charles I can trust."

"What about Corinthos?" Steven asked now reaching for anything and anyone.

"No, do you really think that if Carly knew she wouldn't tell Lucky or that Sonny might not accidentally mention it to Luke?" she said her hands wringing.

"Elizabeth that nurse that gram's taught, the one who helped you escape, her son?" he asked.

"Stan? He works for Sonny." she stated but with a bit of hopefulness.

"Call her, I will find her number, he might be able to track Cameron in the states while we are flying there." he suggested.

"She did send a card when Gram's passed." she murmured while her mind raced. "If she is still a nurse... wait."

Calling information, she soon had the number for Epiphany Johnson. Making the call, her voice shaky as she spoke to the older woman, she said "I am so sorry but I have no one else that can protect my son. Would you please, please ask Stan to see if he can track my son down."

Trying to calm down the young artist, Epiphany was already sending her son a text then saw the news flash across the bottom of the screen. "Elizabeth, there is already an amber alert for Cameron Hardy. They are announcing a photo on the late night news."

"Oh god, I hope that Lucky doesn't realize..." she said moaning in horror as her mind flashbacked to the beating he had given her when he had found out she was pregnant. "Oh god, what am I going to do if he is heading to Port Charles."

Steven took the phone, then listened to what Epiphany had to say and gave her his cell phone number as they began to board the first class passengers.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

In Port Charles, early that morning, Stan looked at his boss and said "My mother needs my help for an old friend of hers. Would you mind doing without me today?"

Jason looked up from the report he was reading and said "Sure, is something going on?"

"She didn't say, just said that an old friend needed me to track down her missing child."

Jason's head came up at that information. "How old?"

"I don't know." he said then left to go see his mother meanwhile across town, Sam had just turned the television to the cartoons and off some missing kid so that Danielle would be occupied as Lucky and she fought about his flirting with Maxie Jones.

"Sam, a man has needs and since you can't help me right now." he said with a shrug. "Besides, she means nothing to me."

At the Quartermaine house, Edward saw the news and was curious as to whether or not this missing child was related to his late friends Steve and Audrey Hardy as he asked his family about the news.

"I saw it, the boy looked familiar, maybe that was why." said Alan as he added he hoped they found him. Turning to his sister he needled her. "So where is your idiotic and lackluster husband today, Tracy?"

"Luke is still out of town, as you very well know, Alan." she said gritting her teeth, regretting needing Spencer's help all those years ago when her mother died to alter her will. Now she was stuck with Luke as a husband unless she wanted to go to jail.

"Did you hear about the missing little boy?" asked Emily as she entered the dining room along with Dr. Robin Scorpio who had been transferred back to Port Charles. She was hoping Robin would reconnect with Jason, after all she was sick of her brother being so lonely.

"Its a shame his mother didn't keep a better eye on him." said Robin as she mentally told herself that she would be a better mother than that if she could have kids. "I mean did you hear that he just walked onto that jet. What kind of parent lets something like that happen?"

"Robin, you aren't a parent, you have no idea how creative little boys can be." stated AJ ruefully. "I am sure that she is frantic, can you imagine what she is going through."

"Like I said, though, if she was a better parent..."

Monica looked at the young woman then said "Well until you are a parent, Robin dear. You shouldn't judge. I lost both AJ and Jason separately on the same day once on vacation. Little boys are curious about the world, more than likely he just snuck off to see the planes and had no idea of the consequences of what he has done."

Robin still blamed the mother but kept her mouth shut, she could see that she would have to agree to disagree with the Quartermaines on this. Tracy meanwhile had read the name and said "Dad, you know, you might be right. Didn't Tom Hardy have a son?"

"Tom's only son is barely twenty." said Monica. "But you know, maybe it is one of Jeff's kids. I ran into him a few years ago at a conference. He does have a grandson that age."

Tracy froze, gulped and then quickly changed the subject as she recalled a long ago call here at the mansion during which a young woman had claimed to be pregnant with Jason's son. She had tracked down the call to Europe and the name had been Hardy.

With shaking hands, she quickly finished breakfast and went to find out what the reporters at the newspaper had on this boy and his mother.

Stan sat down and got to work, calling Jason he said "Its the little boy on the news. Mom said that she is concerned because of the Spencer family."

"Take whatever time you need and any resources you might want." Jason said his mind on the Spencer family and then asked "Wait, how are the Spencers involved?"

"I don't know, my mom wouldn't tell me." he said. "Kid is smart and really kind of adorable though. Can you imagine at the age of ten getting on jet by yourself, let alone flying away to a foreign country. Though, his name, it doesn't sound Italian."

Jason hung up and went back to work, only to get another call from Sonny regarding Danielle. "Sonny, I told you that unless Sam agrees, I am not shipping her daughter to you."

"That isn't it. Sam just called, she left Lucky. He has been cheating on her. I gave her permission to stay with you at your penthouse." he said.

Jason groaned, he might not live at the penthouse, but that didn't give Sonny the right to just move Sam into it. "Great, now I will have to arrange security."

Sam followed the guard inside Jason's penthouse, she had never been in his inner sanction but it was nothing like she had expected. There was nothing personal inside of the rather bland penthouse. Telling the guards to take her stuff upstairs, she sat down on the sofa and made the call.

"Carly, it worked. I am now living with Jason. Why did you want me here?" she asked curious as to why a woman that had threatened to kill her was now helping her.

"Never mind that, just do as I told you." she ordered then hanging up went to check on her husband. While she truly loved Lorenzo and was long past her history with Sonny, she didn't have any intention of letting that bitch Elizabeth Webber EVER get her claws into Jason.

They had been flying back from New York when she had seen the Webber woman at the airport and heard the words Port Charles and a mention of her child. She knew that Elizabeth had been pregnant when she had fled Port Charles and had made damn sure that she knew that she meant nothing to Jason.

When Elizabeth had fled the country, she had breathed a sigh of relief. That belief that she was gone had only gotten deeper when during the time Jason had been faking his death, she had lied when Elizabeth called to speak to him.

Sonny had backed her up, telling Elizabeth that Jason would contact her when ready then about his supposed death. Her ex had had no idea that Carly had taken further steps to insure that she was kept away and had had lied to him about telling Jason she had called.

Carly had been shocked when it had worked, had had no idea that others had been doing the same until a few years later. She would not let that woman win, not now, not ever.

Elizabeth got off the jet, first and rushed to security which led her to the small ante-chamber where she was shown her son getting on a bus that's final destination was the bus station in New York City. "Oh my god, my son is in the Port Authority bus station?"

"Ma'am, security can find no trace of him." he said sympathetically. He had been told by the garda in Italy what had happened and found that as the truth was getting out about how her son had gone missing, reports that had been so against this young mother had turned to her side.

"Elizabeth, Stan is on the phone for you." Steven said as he handed his cell phone to his sister.

"I am tracking him, he was in Times Square and was moving towards the subway." he replied then waved in his boss who sat down across from him. "I promise you I will keep him in my sights when I find him again. The last contact was three hours ago."

Hanging up, Stan said with a sigh. "You might want to take this."

Going to the bar, he poured his boss a drink and said "I know that there is bad blood between Elizabeth Webber and you."

"Wait, what are you talking about? Never mind, what is going on?" he asked urgently.

"The little boy, the missing child I am tracking down, its her son Cameron." he said.

"Elizabeth has a son." Jason said his heart aching with the knowledge she had really moved on. With a breaking heart, he asked "What do you need from me?"

"Your tracking skills, he is lost in the city, Jason." Stan knew that with Jason's love of children he would help no matter what.

"I will leave right now." he said going towards the door only to be stopped and handed a photo. Placing it in his pocket without looking at it and telling him to stay in contact drove hellbent towards the city.

Stan hoped he had done the right thing but he had heard Sam McCall speaking to her pal and he had no intention of letting her get her claws into Jason like she had been trying for years in spite of marrying Spencer.

Elizabeth was a wreck as she insisted on going on and looking for Cam herself. An officer went with her but they had no idea where to go, they had people at the museums, at the Empire State building, at every single location on the look out for her son, but she refused to stay at the police station.

Steven had reluctantly agreed to stay behind and was the one to get the call from Stan. In shock he said "Wait, Stan, Jason Morgan is alive?"

"Yeah." he asked then said "He faked his death a ten years ago, but it was only for a few days. How did you hear about it?"

Swallowing hard, Steven said "Corinthos told my sister he was dead when she called. That Tracy Quartermaine did the same when she tried to reach someone there to confirm it."

"Shit, Jason has no idea that Elizabeth thought he was dead. I wonder why Sonny didn't tell him." said Stan then he recalled Carly's plans with Courtney back then and had a sick feeling as he said "I uh, asked Jason to help track down Elizabeth's son."

"His son." Steven murmured then a bit stronger said "I am not sure what the hell is going on here but my sister was told that Jason was dead, was sent an obituary stating he was engaged to Robin Scorpio at the time. It said that they had reconnected when he went to see her in Paris. There were several other articles including an engagement announcement. I tracked all of it online too."

"Spinelli." spat out Stan. "He is a computer geek who works for Lorenzo Alcazar who was really close to Carly and Courtney at the time until he wised up. Shit, this isn't good. People here were told that Elizabeth left Jason for another man after he took her out of town when Lucky beat her up at Kelly's."

"I got my sister out of town, not Morgan. She was waiting for him to come home, but when Lucky went bonkers, I got her out of town." he said. "Wait, why didn't Morgan tell the truth?"

"I am not sure, but he didn't learn about Lucky until a few... crap, I have to go. Tell Elizabeth that we tracked her son to the ferry." he said with a sigh. "I am going to do some digging."

Cam had been dragging his feet, he had known that this was going to be his only chance to find out why his parents had let him think his dad was dead. He had accidentally learned the truth when he had been looking for articles about his great grandmother to put into a report at school.

That the man his mother had said was his father, Jason Morgan was alive and well in Port Charles New York. He had gotten this far when he had gotten cold feet. Deciding to play tourist, Cam had mentally debated back and forth until he had ended up on the ferry.

After a ride to the island and back, he had walked around the downtown area and now was beginning to realize that if he didn't do this, didn't find his answers now, when his mom caught him he would be grounded for the rest of his life.

So he had managed to avoid the police, had gotten a baseball cap to hide his curls and was even now traveling towards Port Charles on the train.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Don't hate Emily, there is an explanation for her behavior that you will get later on.

Chapter Three

Stan had found out where Cam was, after calling Elizabeth's phone and getting voice mail, he immediately called Jason and said "Cam is on the train heading towards Port Charles. Leave your bike in White Plains and get on the train. There is a ticket already waiting and the engineer has been told the situation."

Jason looked up and saw he was five minutes away and hurried to the station. Purchasing a ticket, he rushed onto the train and found the conductor. Pulling out the photo, he showed it to the man who smiled then nodded towards the front of the coach. "The police are rushing his mother this way. We were going to remove the young man from the train but she was scared it might terrify him."

Nodding, Jason went to the front, then looked down at the photo and staggered as he got his first look at the beautiful boy with the light blue eyes and curly hair. Oh my god...

Now knowing for sure that lies had been told, he called Stan. "Cameron is my son."

"Yes, I am looking into it. Elizabeth, she thought you were dead. Sonny and Carly told her so when you faked your death and she was never told any different." he informed his boss. "I called Max, Sonny is under the impression that Carly told you when you came home. That that was when you informed her of this broken heart crap."

Jason was counting to ten even as Stan said "I accused that geek Spinelli, but he had no clue. Turns out that Corinthos brother was the one who helped hide the truth. You should know, he was a bit thrown by the accusation and confessed to his only crime. Helping Sam McCall move in on you."

"Huh? Sam?" he asked not getting why Lucky's wife was being brought up. "She is staying at that penthouse, thanks to Sonny." he groaned as he got what the other man was saying and replied "Never mind, I get it. It doesn't matter. I uh, am watching over Cameron. Do me a favor, let Elizabeth know."

"Jason, she is reeling already from the news her son caught a jet on his own, her brother said that it might be better if she sees you face to face." he replied knowing he had to warn his boss and friend that the woman he clearly still had feelings for would be thrown by the truth.

"I want names, dates and how it is that Cameron is mine." he ordered then walked forward the twenty feet to where the little boy was sitting watching the cartoon on screen. "Cameron, is it okay if I sit here?"

The little boy looked up at his father, stunned to see him for real for the first time. "Do I have a choice?"

"Yes, always." he said his voice breaking as he took in the young man with the curly hair and his mother's famous smile. "I uh, please?"

Cam let him sit down, then looked at him. Jason could only stare at the little boy with Elizabeth's face and curls and his eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Because you are." he simply said as he took in his son and felt it all the way to his soul as his son just looked at him as if accessing why he was there. "You know, your mom has been very worried about you."

"I know I am more than likely grounded for life." he admitted while pouting slightly.

"No." he said with a wry grin. "Just until you are eighteen. Cam, where were you going?"

"To find out why Mom and you lied to me about you being dead." he said in a flat tone as he shut down a bit. Cam picked up his headphones and played with them nervously as he began to face just how much he wanted answers to his questions but was too scared to find out the truth.

"Your mom didn't lie to you, I didn't know that you existed because people lied to both of us, Cam." he said his voice hoarse with feeling. Jason desperately wanted to hug his son, but knew that one false move and the little boy would run. "I have missed so much time with both of you."

"Do you even care?" he asked his eyes searching Jason's face for answers. He had friends with divorced parents and sometimes he knew parents didn't really care.

"Yes." he said then reached out his hand for his son to either shake or to let himself be hugged.

Cam looked at him then at the hand then said. "Did you love my mom?"

"More than life itself." he said softly as he let his hand fall to his side, not sure what to feel at it being ignored by his child. "I left town for a few days on business and came back to a world that had flipped over onto itself."

"Oh." Cam said then told him. "Mom still cries sometimes when she reads the letters about your death, that your family didn't want to know me."

"Cam, my family doesn't know about you. I can promise you, if they did, my god, nothing would have kept any of us away." he replied then said "I promise you this, someone, somewhere is going to pay for keeping all of us apart."

Elizabeth was almost asleep, Steven was glad because he had talked again with Stan and his answers had the blond man ready to snap at anyone who dared get in his way. Tracy Quartermaine had altered her mother's will and to protect that secret had lied to Elizabeth.

She had apparently thought the younger girl had known that Lila had left her entire estate to any children that Jason had and was scamming the family. That someone would do that, would lie to his sister was bad enough and that it had been for money, was even worse, but her current marriage to Luke Spencer said that that was not her only lie and made him curious as to what Spencer knew and when he had done so.

As for Carly Alcazar, well she would be paying and paying dearly. Steven had called an old sort of friend. Lisa Niles had only had hear the name Carly Benson and she had agreed to his request.

She hated Carly, because Carly was her mother. Lisa had found out Steven's connections to Port Charles when they had worked together and had been shocked to learn about her mother first hand instead of what she had read in the newspapers. She hadn't gone to meet the woman, having been disgusted by her way of earning money by marrying rich men.

Lisa had learned about what Carly had done to her own mother and had often talked about making her pay. When Steven called, he hadn't been surprised she had agreed to make her pay. The rest was up to fate, if Lorenzo Alcazar gave in, Steven wasn't responsible, he had only put the bait in the trap, the man didn't have to take her up on her offer.

Sonny Corinthos had been a selfish bastard, but from what Stan had said, that was his only part in this mess. He hadn't done it out of maliciousness and there had already been a growing distance between Corinthos and Jason.

Steven brushed Elizabeth's hair out of her face, knowing she was scared of running into Lucky Spencer when they arrived in Port Charles, but Stan had made arrangements with Mac for a couple of officers to be there at the station, just in case.

In Port Charles, Alan and Monica were getting off work for the day when Emily came up to them carrying the newspaper folded so that only half the photo showed. "Who does this look like to you?"

Not sure what was going on and wondering why her daughter seemed almost fanatical in her zeal as she waved the newspaper around, Monica said "That missing little boy."

Unfolding it, Emily said "Its Elizabeth. This is the article from when Lucky was brainwashed. I think that is her son and that Lucky is the father."

"Whoa, take a step back before you create something that isn't real." said her father trying to caution his daughter about her sudden flight into fantasy. "Emily, even if it is Elizabeth's son, why do you assume Lucky is father?"

"Because of the timing, who else was she seeing at that time." she pointed out. "It explains so much, I mean look at his eyes, don't they remind you of Laura Spencer?"

Showing them the photo of Cameron, she smiled and said "See, now, if you will excuse me, I am going to talk to Lucky."

Monica looked at the photo, then stopped her daughter then said to her husband. "Take a closer look at the picture, Alan. Emily might be right about it being Elizabeth's son, but I don't think that Spencer is the father."

Alan did as requested, glancing intently at the picture, then reaching into his pocket and pulling out the photo he kept of his sons from when they were in elementary school. "You might be right. Emily, I don't think you should be speaking to Lucky, just yet."

"What are you two talking about?" she asked with a chuckle. "This is the best news ever. Lucky can rescue his son, then Elizabeth and he can get back together and who knows, maybe it might help me with Nik."

"Emily, you are not listening to me and have created this whole scenario out of thin air." said Monica gently as she tried to reach her suddenly strange daughter. "And Elizabeth made it very plain that she would never forgive Lucky for what he did to her, for attacking her."

"But she didn't know the truth, that he had been brainwashed." she said insistently as she began to imagine a double wedding for Nik and herself as well as Lucky and Elizabeth with their son as the ring bearer.

"Emily!" snapped Alan. "Wake up, Nik is married to Courtney, they have a son. Lucky is married to Sam, she is pregnant with his child."

"But she left him, he was sleeping with Maxie and she dumped Lucky to move into Jason's penthouse." she said her mind stuck on the mental image of her marrying Nik, like it was playing over and over again in her head.

"And you are happy about this? What about your brother?" Monica asked shocked at the almost obsessed look on her daughter's face.

"Well, I mean, its not like he has to really get involved, just get her to divorce Lucky." she said. "Besides..."

"No." Monica said. "Listen to me, please, you said you let go of this dream of you marrying Nik years ago, he has cheated on you every single time you were together. And Emily, there is no longer a Lucky and Elizabeth. She left town over ten years ago, you need to accept that she wants nothing to do with him."

Emily was stubborn but she knew her parents and she agreed to think about things before speaking to Lucky. When she had left the hospital she felt off but then said to herself. "But I never agreed not to speak to Nik."

Driving to the docks, she took the shuttle over to her former and hopefully future home only to be told that Master Nikolas was riding. "Thanks, Alfred, I will track him down out there." she said blithely ignoring his calling for her to stop, she was on a mission and nothing was going to get in her way from doing what she had to.

Alfred shook his head, then went back inside, almost feeling sorry for Ms. Quartermaine, but she would soon learn that Prince Cassadine was not the man she thought he was.

Emily hurried down the bridle path and was almost to the barn when she heard grunting sounds. Convinced that Nik had been hurt, she pushed open the door and rushed inside only to stop in shock at what she saw. It was almost enough to trigger her out of her beliefs, but someplace deep down was telling her to ignore what she didn't want to see.

Nik was having sex with one of the young blond nurses from the hospital. "Nik, how could you?"

Stopping mid coitus, Nik turned to see Emily and stuttered "Emily, what are you doing here?"

"How, how could you?" she asked as she recalled that the woman; there were two sisters who were also nurses at the hospital, Jolene and Nadine, she thought as she tried to figure out which one Nik was having sex with. "I came here, to tell you that I have some good news regarding Lucky, and this, this is what I have to see. I mean, I get it, I get that bedding Courtney must be difficult for you..."

"LOOK WHAT I FOUND..." Turning Emily was stunned to see Courtney standing there naked as the day she was born and holding a camera. "Oh, hey Emily. I didn't know we were expecting you, uh, I didn't think you were into this kind of thing, I mean when Nik said he dumped you because you were boring in bed... well I guess... but if you want, you're more than welcome to stay."

Emily backed out the door as Jolene expressed fear that she would tell someone what she saw. "Don't worry, no one would believe her. Emily would just sound like a jealous wife. Now, Courtney, do it."

Hearing Nik moaning and groaning, she rushed to the docks and hurried to take the shuttle back home. Once there, she just got in her car and drove to Jake's. Seeing Lucky, she was at least gratified to find out he had left Sam.

"Its for the best, maybe now, you can concentrate on tracking down, Elizabeth. She truly loves you, you know." she said wishing she hadn't promised to be quiet about what she knew. She just knew that Lucky would be happy to learn the truth.

Lucky looked at his best friend then scoffed as she poured them yet another shot. "If she had loved me, she would have let me get between those thighs of hers. Can you believe it that bitch was sleeping with someone else and never ever even let me have a taste."

Sobering up a bit she was shaking her head, trying to clear her mind even as she asked "Wait, you didn't have sex with Elizabeth?"

With a bitter sneer, Lucky said "No,she kept insisting on us waiting, I thought it was because of the rape, but no, it turns out she was fucking someone else. When I got that letter she wrote me, I confronted the bitch and she had the nerve to tell me that she was sorry, well I showed her sorry. I made damn sure that she knew a Spencer wouldn't be cheated on. I would have finished the job, shown her what a real man was like but then Helena showed up and insisted on us leaving."

"Huh?" she asked her mind clouded.

"You know, like my dad did to my mom." he replied. "He showed her who was the man when he seduced her all those years ago at that disco, but I wouldn't have been so gentle. I just wanted to make the bitch pay. No one, but no one cheats on a Spencer and gets away with it."

"But Lucky, you cheat all the time." she pointed out surprised. "I mean, even we had sex when you were engaged to Summer."

"No one cheats on Spencer." he replied again and ordered another drink. Emily was still sober enough to realize that she knew something she shouldn't as she called for a cab. "Hey Lucky, you know, Elizabeth is coming home. Uh, at least I think she is."

The train stopped in Albany and Jason was greeted by a grim Steven Webber who told him to call Stan Johnson immediately. Hugging his nephew, he didn't want to let go as he came to realize that at the end of this adventure, more than likely his sister would finally be happy and his nephew would have his felt like he was losing them.

When Jason had gotten control of his emotions, he turned around and said "Cam, I am going to speak to your Mom. Would you mind staying with your uncle for about a half hour then joining us."

"You won't leave me?" he asked anxiously as he looked at his father and hated the idea of his leaving him.

"I swear." he said reaching and pulling his son into his arms. Nodding at Webber, he took a step towards the door then back towards his son. "Here."

Removing the half of red glass mounted in stone he had found in the studio that he had worn around his neck for years, he was surprised when Cam suddenly said "That matches mommy's necklace."

"I gave it to your Mom." he said his voice almost cracking again as he went to find the first class compartment number he had been given by Stan. Entering, he saw that Elizabeth was asleep like Steven had told Stan. He had been surprised to hear that she had cried herself to sleep, but only after their son was found.

Sitting down beside her, marveling at all the changes yet at all the ways she was still his Elizabeth, Jason ran his fingers through the long flowing curls. "You are still the most beautiful person I know, inside and out."

Elizabeth was half asleep as she dreamed of Jason and her last day together. "Promise, Jason?"

"When I get back we will head to Italy." said dream Jason while the real man was stunned at the words she had said out loud.

"I love you and I promise, I won't let them talk me into danger." she said as she reached for Jason's hands.

Realizing that she was dreaming of their last day together, he was shocked when she suddenly said "I am so sorry, Jason. I should have told Cameron more about you. Maybe you would still be here."

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth, wake up, Its okay, I promise." he said as he gently shook the crying woman awake. When her eyes widened then she seemed to begin to faint, he said "Sonny lied, I was not dead. I swear, I am not dead, Elizabeth."

Reaching out, touching the lines on his face, the way he seemed to have aged a lot more than ten years and she said "Is this a dream?"

"No, I swear. I don't know how they can live with themselves, but Carly swore to Sonny she told me the truth, but he was too selfish to check on me, too selfish too concerned with his own life to realize that mine was falling apart. I have to ask, the letter, why did you break up with me?" he asked needing the answer to his questions.

"What? I never broke up with you!" she said stunned as she struggled to sit up. Then she recalled why she was on the train and gasping asked about Cameron.

Jason calmed her down, explaining that he had talked to their son; that they would need to speak to him together but that he thought that they needed to get it straight between themselves. Elizabeth nodded, then thought back to what he had said. "Wait, what letter?"

Telling her about the letter that he had found, she was unable to breath as she recalled that letter and that it had led to the beating that Lucky had inflicted on her. "Jason, I wrote that to Lucky. I didn't want him having any belief in us left. I didn't mean for him to get it until you had returned and we left, but somehow he got it and broke into the studio."

"I thought he attacked you at Kelly's, I saw the police report." he said his voice breaking as he filled her in on all of it only for her to begin shivering. "I am sorry, I know that you have to …."

"No, you don't understand." she said knowing she had to tell him, that she couldn't hide this because Steven would tell him if she didn't. Though Jason himself was beginning to wonder why he hadn't received crime scene photos from the studio if that was where the worst of the attack had happened. "Lucky got the letter, then came to see me at Kelly's. I escaped from him. He followed me."

"How?" he asked his mind on all the broken glass at the diner.

"I just hit him and ran." she said not wanting to relive it. "I just got away but he was bleeding. I should have been fine, but then when I got to the studio, he showed up as I was calling the police. He saw the pills I had gotten from the pharmacy."

"Why would you need pills?" he asked now totally thrown, what had been wrong with Elizabeth in just those few days that she had ended up needing pills.

"Jason, they were vitamins, prenatal vitamins." she said unable to look at him.

"Cameron, Lucky knew you were pregnant and that animal... he attacked you knowing you were pregnant." Jason's rage was already at a boiling point now he had no intention of letting Lucky Spencer live even one minute more than he had to.

"Its WHY he attacked me, Jason." she said looking at the floor of the train. Hearing his soft moan no, she said "Yes, he would have raped me too, but for once Helena did something that was helpful. She showed up and dragged Lucky away, she had need of him for something. Told him I would be there when he got back, that I had been suitably cowed, then she threatened me."

Jason let her speak, knowing he had to hear it all as she told him. "I barely found the strength to stand when the police finally showed up. I made them take me to Mercy because Bobbie and the rest of the Spencers were so damn determined I save Lucky and I didn't trust them with the news I was pregnant."

"Gram's called Steven and he used some contacts to get us to Rome." she said. "When I was in the hospital before I left, I tried to call Sonny but he said you were unable to be reached and that he would deal with Lucky. But Lucky ended up in my hospital room and Steven said I couldn't wait."

"We got to Europe but I was very sick for a good long while." she didn't want him to know how badly she had been hurt, unaware that Stan had filled him in on all the things that others including his sister had kept from him in their belief he had known and hadn't really cared all that much for Elizabeth like that.

Jason's arms convulsed around her as she told him about Sonny telling her he was dead, about Carly and how she had called the Quartermaines only to learn that not only was Jason dead but that Miss Lila had passed away too. "Oh god, Elizabeth."

The couple just held one another as he told her about what had been going on, about how he had believed the letter for a few hours, then had gone searching. How he had learned the 'truth' about Lucky but not the whole truth. "Its like when they found out about the brainwashing, they put it out of their minds what he had done to you."

"I know its why Gram's left town, she was so angry with the way people didn't get that Lucky's brainwashing wasn't an excuse for what happened. Kevin Collins refused to treat him after he hurt me, he said that he had his doubts that Lucky was still under the affects of it when he hurt me." she whispered as she relived the pain she had gone through.

"I bought her house." he said. "I wanted to be close to you and then there were all these rumors, I didn't hear the truth until five years ago, Elizabeth. Before that, no one admitted that they thought I took you out of town. When they did , I let them keep thinking it, not sure what was going on but certain you were safer with them thinking that. I went looking for you. I went all over Italy, have made contacts all over the country, but I never thought you would be in Rome."

"I was in a small village on the coast until a few years ago, but I wanted Cam to attend the American School in Rome." she said her voice fading as she told him all about their son. "I am sorry, Jason. I kept Cameron away from you."

"No, you didn't. He knows me from your memories, from what he has told me." he said softly. "I just... I hate that I left you alone. I didn't want to go, I felt like something was wrong, but Sonny insisted. I just didn't see that there was something wrong with putting the job first."

Resting his head against hers, Jason said softly "I have discontinued our partnership. Sonny wasn't happy but he moved to his Island where he has his little fiefdom when I refused to back down. I uh, do what little I can to keep him away. He has a couple of daughters, he gave up on the one with Alexis, she wants nothing to do with him and the other one, her mother is a piece of work. She is currently staying at my penthouse and married to Lucky."

Elizabeth shivered at the mention of the name, but Jason had to tell her all. "I don't trust her and am going to give her a choice, Lucky or moving to the Island. Stan thinks she is after me but why she would think I would go there, I have no idea."

A few minutes later as he explained about the rest of the mess, they heard a knock at the door and Cam entered with a serious expression on his face. "Am I doomed?"

"Yup, until you are at least eighteen young man." she said as she reached out and hugged him tightly then ran her hands down his body to make sure he was in once piece. "Cam, why didn't you come to me?"

He took a deep breath then exhaled it as he said "Because Tomas Almano said that that all parents lie, that when his parents split up they never saw each other. I thought that you and dad lied to me about his being dead because he didn't want me."

"Cam, that isn't true." Jason said as he held his son and Elizabeth tightly. "I swear."

"I know." he said then burst into tears. Embarrassed he wiped them away then said "But Nico, Tony and Tomas said that it had to be true that my mommy was too perfect, that no mommy was that good without doing wrong."

"Oh Cam. I am not perfect." she said with a teary laugh.

"Yes you are, Mommy." he said earnestly. "You always help me with my projects, you go to all my school functions, you are always helping out and baking brownies for us. Plus you are really pretty and you smell really, really good."

"Can't argue with him about that last two." said Jason to her surprise. "Right now, however we need to talk about what happens after here."

"And that is my cue to leave." said Steven with a wry smile as he watched his sister mouth the words thank you to him. "I will be in the dining cart, spending two fifty for a candy bar."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Jason and Elizabeth explained that they were going to have to go to Port Charles; Cam said yes, clearly all excited at the idea of visiting that small town on the river. An uncertain Jason looked at Elizabeth then said "Cam, there are some very bad people in Port Charles who are going to be mean to your mom and some might even try to hurt you. If you were any younger, I wouldn't be telling you this, but I think that you need to understand that this is only a visit."

"B-but, I want us to be a family." he said shocked to realize that that might not happen.

"Cam, honey, a lot of time has passed and things, well they change." Elizabeth said awkwardly as she tried to find a way to explain to her son that sometimes things didn't work out how everyone wanted.

"But I asked him, dad loves you and I know you love him." he pleaded with them. The tears in his blue eyes were like knives to his parents hearts as they tried to figure out what to tell the ten year old who had just found his father.

Blushing when she saw Jason suddenly looking at her when he heard what Cameron was saying about them still loving each other, Elizabeth was shocked when Jason said softly "Cam, yes and I will always, always love your mom and you, but for now, it isn't possible for us to be a family in Port Charles. I will always be there for you, for your mom but..."

"If you loved us for real, you would make it possible." he said belligerently as he crossed his arms, not letting them make excuses, after all he was ten, not a baby. "Its all an excuse."

"Cam-" Elizabeth realized how hurt her son was and began to explain but before she could, she felt Jason's hand on her arm and let him speak instead.

Jason stopped Elizabeth and said "Cam, those people who want to hurt you mom and you, they are in Port Charles. I however can't just leave. I have to go deal with something first and to do that I need your mom and you safe."

"But can't you keep us safer by being with you?" he asked his father as he saw his parents were standing close to one another, almost as if they couldn't resist relying on each other.

"Its more than that." Jason didn't want to make Elizabeth relive her nightmares he was sure that she had as a result of all that had happened during her final days in Port Charles. "If I could change things, I would. But I can't."

Cam looked at them, then at his feet then said "I want a real dad and if you can't be a real dad, I don't want you."

"Cameron Steven Hardy, you need to stop." Elizabeth said only for Cam to glare at her. Returning the glare, in spite of knowing how hurt he was feeling, she added at the last minute "I mean it."

Jason felt his heart ache as he realized that it was going to be a trust issue for them but he couldn't let Elizabeth live in fear and that meant he had to dismantle his business and head to Italy with his family but he couldn't let that get out, even by Cam innocently announcing it to his friends.

Cam looked at his parents, tears in his eyes as he said "I just got my daddy back, I don't want to be away from him ever again. Please, Mommy, can't we please just stay?"

"Cam, listen to me, please." implored Jason as he tried to make his son understand that if things were different they wouldn't be delayed at all in being a family, "I would allow it, do you think I want to be away from either of you ever again, I don't."

"But please, Daddy." he said his eyes watering and making Elizabeth's heart break as she saw the same look in both of her men's eyes. "Please, don't go away again."

Jason felt an ache deep within as he asked Cam to let him speak to his mother. The young boy put on his headphones, refusing to leave them; not wanting them out of his eye sight. "Elizabeth, I know that I am asking a lot, especially considering that Lucky will be there but if I arrange for security from some of Sonny's guards..."

"Jason, I had guards last time, but when it wasn't Francis or a few that knew me, Carly told them not to interfere with Lucky and I, that they were only there to protect me from the mob stuff. No one I mean no one interfered, though I doubt that they knew he was attacking me that last day with all of the commotion going on."

"Wait, who did you have on you?" he asked and felt his jaw tighten when he heard the names. "I have people, people that don't like Carly who listen to only me. They protect Alexis and Kristina sometimes."

"Alexis, the woman that got Lucky off?" she asked bitterly.

"You should know, she regretted it. I never knew what happened, but she told me a few years ago, that Luke Spencer was one of her biggest regrets and since she had children with both Sonny and his brother Ric, that is saying a lot." he said only to see her eyes narrowing in anger. "I am sorry, I shouldn't make light..."

"No, its not that. I just, I think I know what Luke has on her." she said then told him about Katherine Belle.

With that, Jason made a call then arranged for the guards to meet them at the station. "They don't like the Spencers and Cooper Barrett has a real issue with Lucky since he is cheating with Maxie Jones who he used to date."

"Are you sure he is up to the job?" she asked.

"Yes, I have cleaned up our operations, most of the guards are ex special ops now. They do strictly security work but aren't afraid to get their hands dirty if necessary. Lucky has been pissed when some of them have been assigned to his wife. I have to ask, does Lucky know that I am Cameron's father." he asked while watching his son who was now at the window wearing headphones.

"No, its why he was hitting me, because I refused to tell him who my baby's father was." she said rubbing her arm where there was still a slight scar from the beating she had taken.

"I swear to god, if it is the last thing I do, Lucky Spencer will cease to breath." he said his eyes on hers and when he saw her look of understanding he said "I won't let him hurt my family ever again." Silently Jason added that all of them, every single person who had helped keep them apart would pay and pay dearly.

Jason went to find Steven Webber, needing his assessment of the situation while Elizabeth gently removed Cam's headphones and said "We are going to stay but you have to listen closely. When I tell you to do something, no matter what it is, you must listen to me or your father. Its very important, Cam. No, but Mom, no trying to stretch it out, if we say we have to go, we have to leave, right then."

"If it keeps us with Daddy, I pinkie swear, Mommy." Cam state solemnly as he went into his mother's embrace. Elizabeth held tightly only her son, half wanting to hug him to death, another part wanting to ring his neck for not asking her and telling her what he had found, but that would be dealt with at a later date, right now, she was way too happy about his interference to deal with it.

Jason looked around the almost empty food train car and said "Tell me what Elizabeth didn't, please?"

"It was brutal and ugly." he said knowing what Jason was asking. "He had beat her so badly that he broke bones, how she managed to carry Cam to term, it was a miracle. There is something not even she knows. Cam was a fraternal twin, Jason."

"Oh god." he said getting what he was telling him. Jason almost fell to his knees as the pain crashed through him. "O-our other son died?"

"Stillborn, her doctor agreed with Dr. Meadows assessment that it might send Elizabeth into a serious depression if she were to learn about it so soon after being told you had died. I was going to tell her, but it just never seemed like the right time." he told the other man.

"Jason, it was a girl, not a boy. I uh, this is hard for me because I had to let my anger go, had to do what needed done for Elizabeth's sake. I had the little girl buried, the hospital normally doesn't do that for stillborns, but it was my niece, you know." Steven tried to explain but it was difficult to get the words out.

"Where?" he asked softly his mind reeling on how much had been lost by his ignoring his gut feelings that had told him not to go deal with Moreno.

"In Rome, when I visit Elizabeth I go to visit her, take flowers and they are sent monthly fresh to her grave. I uh,named her Audrey. Grams was going to come and we were going to tell her together when she passed unexpectedly." he said then seeing Jason's pain tried to gave him some happier news.

"Cam is a great kid, Jason. Smart and he has this logical way of thinking that can confound you if you don't know exactly what he is asking about. He was so excited when Elizabeth explained that I was related to both Elizabeth and you. It made him so happy to know that I was related to his daddy. He is going to be so happy to meet the Quartermaines."

"Tracy might not be available to meet him, in fact I intent to ensure that that doesn't happen." he said grimly. "She is going to pay and pay dearly along with that bastard she is married to."

In Port Charles, Emily was lying in bed, her head aching as she looked around her bedroom, something was bothering her, something on the tip of her tongue, on the back part of her mind, something that she had to fix.

Closing her eyes, her mind on the previous day and she gasped in horror as she realized what it was. Groaning, she lifted her phone and made a call. "Dr. Collins, it happened again. And I think that I might have missing memories."

"I will be right over." he said grimly then said "Are you okay?"

"No, but you are right, it is time to tell my parents, because I am scared, I have the feeling that whatever I did, it was bad, very very bad." she said sadly.

Standing, she staggered to the shower, then slipped into some clothes. Holding the railing tightly as she walked slowly down the stairs, she heard the doorbell and her dad leaving the den to answer it. "Dad, I think that is Dr. Collins, can you get Mom and meet with us in my room?"

"Your room?" he asked then inwardly groaned, convinced she had brought that moron Spencer home with her after letting in the good doctor. "Kevin."

"Did Emily let Monica and you know that we need to speak to you?" he said. Alan went to find his wife then saw her expression was as unhappy as his as they went up the stairs. Once in Emily's room they were shocked to see no one but Emily and Kevin there and that the curtains were closed.

"Please shut the door." Kevin said then when they had done so took out his dad's gadgets and made sure that no one listening at the doors could eavesdrop like Luke Spencer. "Okay, Emily, its your show."

"Mom, Dad. Please sit down." she said her skin a milky white color as she gathered her courage. Her parents had talked and she knew that they didn't believe that Lucky had been brainwashed so how on earth was she going to explain this to them.

"Emily, are you addicted to drugs again?" asked a shocked Monica when she saw her daughter's hands shaking.

"I wish." she said tearfully then said "About the time of Lucky's return years ago, I noticed I would lose track of time, wake up feeling sick to my stomach. I would have no memory of anything I did but people would react oddly to me. I went to see Dr. Collins and asked him to keep it a secret."

"Kevin, what is it?" Monica asked her colleague.

"She was brainwashed and every once in a while something triggers the code that has her obeying Helena Cassadine's original orders from all those years ago." Seeing their supportive expressions, confused Emily as they reached out to hug her.

"Yesterday, the odd behavior, regarding Nik and Lucky?" asked Alan in shock as he put it all together and not liking what he was hearing.

"Yes, I am so sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't want to lose my chance at being a doctor." she said tearfully. "We have gotten better, I am now able to remember normally what happens during these states. However, today I woke up and didn't, but I think I was drunk, I think I forgot because of the liquor and I know it is important. My last partial memory is a need to see Lucky."

"What is your last full memory?" Kevin asked her.

"I was here, at the house, going through some old boxes in the attic. That missing little boy story was bothering me for some reason. Anyhow, I was getting ready to throw out all the old memories of Lucky. I didn't want them even from when times were good. Its too odd, to compare the jerk he is now to that boy I knew." she said her mind in the past. "I was going through some old articles and... and... and wait, I remember Kevin. Do you remember what you suggested might be the key word?"

Nodding and writing it down for her parents to see, Kevin saw her facial expressions and said "You heard it."

"A card, one Lucky gave to me with both his and Liz's voice on it." she admitted. "Its my last memory other than finding a picture of Elizabeth where she looked so young."

"That is what you showed us." said Alan who filled her in on what she had been saying. Emily's disgust was palpable then she suddenly laughed out loud as in spite of her fear, something hit her. "Cameron, he looks like Elizabeth, Elizabeth and Jason. He is their son."

"Its what we think too." said Monica to her daughter who sudden groaned then admitted her plans regarding Robin. "Oh, I figured that one out and used that new doctor as cannon fodder. Sure enough they were arguing and my guess, they end up in bed or at least with Robin distracted long enough for us to find out the truth."

Emily didn't smile, her mind kept telling her that she was missing something and that it was big. Kevin looked at her and asked "Are you ready?"

"Yes but I have to admit, I am scared, Kevin, there is something ugly there." she said fearfully.

"Worse than the letter?" he asked gently.

"That is what scares me, yes." she admitted softly as he put her under and took her back to the meeting at the hospital with her parents. When she spoke of her visit to Nik, Alan's jaw dropped and he found himself shaking his head to remove that image from it as she went on about heading to Jake's for some reason.

Monica felt sick at what she said next. "Lucky showed up, we talked, oh my god, Elizabeth and he never had sex. Lucky thinks she cheated on him. Wow, he is disgusting, oh-god, oh-god, oh-god, why-can't-I-stop-speaking-to-him, I-have-to-get-away, have-to-tell-someone, I-have-to-fix-this, oh-god, Elizabeth, please, please-don't-hate-me."

Kevin stayed calm and asked her what she knew. "Lucky, he remembers what happened, he lied, he remembered and he was going to rape her, he wanted to punish her because she loved someone else. This is all my fault, why did I let her make me give him the letter?"

Emily's sobs filled the room while Monica thought to herself what letter while her husband looked at Kevin and knew that it was bad. "Emily what is it?"

"I did it, I told Lucky. I did what Helena wanted. I told him where to find Elizabeth, that she was coming home." Within a half hour, Emily had convinced her parents and Kevin to commit her to Shadybrook, at least until they were sure that Elizabeth and her son were safe. All knowing that she would have to be drugged just in case...

Lucky woke up in a room above the bar, he couldn't remember much from the night before but that Maxie had been being a bitch and he had gone looking for easy tail. Staggering out the door and home, he was happy to have peace and quiet as he showered and got himself something to eat.

Moodily looking around the house that Sonny bought for his wife and Lucky just wanted to destroy everything. Starting to reach for one of the stupid and expensive toys that Sam insisted her kid needed, he heard the doorbell and went to answer it.

"What?" he asked his sister as she pushed her way inside. "What are you doing here Lulu?"

"Will you look at yourself, hung over and looking like you have been on a bender yet again. When are you going to wake up and realize that you are wasting your life." she sneered then said "I need that money you promised to get from Sam for dad."

"Does it look like my wife is around?" he snapped even as he recalled that Sam had refused to give him any more money. Looking around, he saw one of of her more expensive geegaws and handed it to Lulu. "Here pawn this."

"You do it, I can't get caught." she snapped. "Besides, it is half yours since you married the tramp. I don't know why you did, but what on earth were you thinking, Lucky. She has slept with half the town and more than likely is screwing Jason Morgan even as we speak. I heard some of the guards, she is living with him."

Scoffing, Lucky said "As if, Sam wants him but he doesn't want her. She just doesn't want to accept it. I don't give a damn where my wife is, as long as it is quiet while I am asleep. Now, either take the stupid statue or leave, I am going to bed."

Lulu sneered and said "I will go and get the money from Nik. Lie and say it is for something that he will have no problems paying for. But Lucky, seriously, when are you going to drop her and move on."

"When I get my permanent lock back." he smirked then felt something tingling in the back of his brain but he ignored it, he didn't really even want that two timing whore back, but he wanted one more go at her, one more chance to teach her that you didn't cheat on a Spencer.

Speaking of that, he thought to himself he had to have a word with his wife, they had a deal and she was not going to break it, not even to get Jason Morgan in her bed. Falling onto said bed, he fell asleep, his mind going to his favorite dream as he made that bitch pay and pay dearly.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jason watched his family as they arrived at the station. Steven had called and canceled the meeting with the local police, having explained to Mac Scorpio that they had changed their mind about needing protection. The man had said that he still would like to speak to Steven and would come alone.

When Jason had Elizabeth and Cam behind the dark tinted windows, he said "I want to have the men drive around a bit, just in case anyone is following us once they have checked things out with the outer guards."

Nodding, she saw him leaning up to speak to the man she knew was named Cody then whisper to the man in the passenger seat who she was told was Cooper Barrett and no, he wasn't related to Brenda.

When he leaned back, he seemed more relaxed as he leaned over and told Elizabeth. "Helena is dead, it is confirmed with blood, DNA and photos. Cassadine was celebrating that it was verified yesterday."

"Where are we going?" she asked as she saw her brother speaking to Mac Scorpio and then getting in another car behind them as they began to pull off.

"I would take you to the penthouse, but Lucky's wife is hanging out there, it would be the safest place otherwise, but do you mind your gram's house?" Jason was a bit worried, he had made few changes, but what if they were ones that she didn't like.

"Jason, Lucky knows how to get inside." she told him only for him to lean up and change directions as they were told it would be a longer than expected drive. He knew the perfect place to hide his family until they were safe."Where are we going?"

"To a former business ally who hates the Spencers. Remember how I told you Sonny had a brother? Well his brother's father was an idiot and betrayed the family he worked for and then when he was caught, well, lets just say he made a deal with Luke that almost cost the son a whole hell er, heck of a lot." he said his eyes traveling to Cam as he avoided swearing.

Cam didn't notice anything, his eyes were on the view as they took the long winding roads out past Vista Point and the cliffs. When they arrived at Crimson Point, Jason asked them to stay in the car and went to knock on the large heavy dark wooden door.

"Hey, Morgan, what are you doing here?" asked Johnny as he let the other man inside. When the blond didn't let the door close all the way and seemed to be keeping an eye on the front vehicle parked in front of his house, he got that something big must be going on.

"I need a huge favor, is this place still as secure as it used to be?" he asked as he looked at the slightly younger man wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt but no shoes.

"Yeah, why?" he asked then listened to what Jason had to say. With a frown and his mind now traveling into the recent past he stated "So my sister was right."

"Yeah, Sonny betrayed me, not with malice intent but he betrayed me anyhow. Where is Claudia?" He asked not sure that having the interfering brunette around would be such a good idea.

"Milan, so she won't be an issue. Besides, a chance to take a mickey out of Cassadine, yeah, you know she will be in on it." he said with a smug smirk. "So, when do I get to meet this lovely woman. Who knows, she might decide she likes a dark haired Italian who actually uses words more than blond Neanderthal."

"I will be staying too." he reminded Johnny as they walked out to the car. Elizabeth was amused by the younger man who quickly escorted them inside complaining about his feet being cold and soon found herself charmed by his jokes as they went inside. Cam just stuck close to his dad and then asked if Johnny was his butler like in the movies.

Steven just followed silently like he had pretty much since they had left the station. His mind was on his conversation with Mac and he knew that he would have to give Jason a heads up on the rest of it. He was watching the interactions between Elizabeth and Jason and was happy with what he saw. Clearly the love was still there, given time the trust would take care of itself because it was others lies not their own actions that had created this mess.

When Johnny had them set up with rooms, Jason and he went to the office. "Are you serious with what you text to me?"

"Yes, if you want it, its up for sale, best offer taken." he said only to be handed a number on a paper. Without looking at it, he said "Its yours."

"You are serious, wow. She really means a lot to you." he said as he inwardly groaned at the bet he had lost with Claudia. She had long suspected that there was a deeply broken heart at the center of the very cold Mr. Morgan and it looks like she was correct.

However, her glee would soon fade when given the news regarding Morgan's business interests, his sister and he had been looking for more legal ways to spend the reams of money that his father had left them, now they would have completely legit businesses and only had to let go of the remaining illegal ones in Italy.

"She was my world, I thought I lost her. I need you help, some people are going to pay and pay dearly." he said in an icy tone. "Lucky Spencer first of all."

"The Spencers?" he asked with a bitter chuckle of his own. "Leave them to me, I gather you want the screw up for yourself."

"He hurt Elizabeth, beat her badly trying to hurt her for telling him the truth, then lied about it and claimed to be brainwashed." Jason had no intentions of getting caught but he was determined to make sure that Lucky paid and that before he died he knew that Elizabeth and their family were going to be happy.

"I heard that story a few times. Its his father's excuse for why Lucky is a fuck up." he said as he couldn't help wondering what the old man's excuse was for the rest of his fucked up family. "Okay, I will deal with Spencer Sr. I have to ask, can I keep it out of the country."

"Any place you want." Jason said standing and going to see his family. Seeing Cam reading to Elizabeth from a travel guide made his heart sing as Cam stumbled over a word here or there, Jason felt pain at all he had missed yet pride in his son.

Elizabeth looked up just then, smiled and beckoned him to join them. "Steven went to make sure that everyone in my family knows that Cam is fine."

Cam looked at his dad then said "Mommy said that I have to write a letter to the air people and apologize for sneaking onto the jet. That I was wrong, I know and I am sorry. I tried to buy a ticket but the computer kept kicking me off the site."

Elizabeth hugged her not so little boy as he began to read again, slowly his words grew further and further apart until he drifted off to sleep. "He is out for a good while, he admitted he has had no sleep since the day he took off."

"Here, let me tuck him into bed." said Jason as he carried his son to the second bed. "I hope you don't mind the double beds, but I didn't want to be apart from either of you."

Reaching out, she pulled him into her arms, her mind on all the ways he was different from the man she had known all those years ago. "I was thinking, when you have dealt with all you have to do, we should spend some time together."

Hugging her tightly he kissed her forehead as he took joy in her physical presence and said "I was thinking we could spent a hell of a lot of time together. You, our son and me."

"He should be in school. I am not sure what to tell his teachers." she said fretting a bit then admitting he was doing very well.

"How did he trick you?" Jason asked and listened as she confessed what had happened.

"I had no idea he liked me that way, I thought Artuero just liked to talk art with me." she stated as the guilt grew again. "Its like he thought I would just forget about my son. When the other man, Paulo came back, I was so scared, Jason."

"I can only imagine." he said his heart beating wildly as Elizabeth rested her head against his chest and began to yawn. "Go to sleep, we can talk tomorrow."

"Jason, I don't want to see Lucky. I confronted him before I left town the last time, I don't need to do it again. I don't want to hear his self serving excuses." she said as her eyes began to grow heavy even as the clock chimed noon.

There was silence in the Quartermaine home as Emily and her parents dealt with what Kevin was explaining. "How do you help her once she is admitted?"

"Its slowly fading, Emily has had no blackouts in years. This trigger has been repeated frequently in our therapy with no reaction since 2006, but this time, there was. We have to figure out what caused that to happen." Kevin wanted to reassure them that this was only a set back. A major set back but one that could be managed.

"I think I know what it is." said Emily miserable as she wrapped the comforter around her shoulders. "Its the article from the fire. It mentions my brother, back then, I was always scared of what could happen to Jason."

Emily slowly drifted off to sleep, while Alan and Monica drew Kevin off a bit. "Is this for real this time, unlike with Spencer?"

"It was real with Lucky, but he was freed from his. The problem is that Lucky was always a possessive little shit who thought he was the best. When he no longer had Elizabeth acting the way he wanted, when she made it clear that she was helping him in obligation of the past, he snapped. I truly think that he sees Elizabeth as belonging to him, hence the code word."

"Why would Helena use that as a code word for Emily?" asked Alan confused.

Kevin bowed his head, now was the time to give them the rest of the news. "I think that Lucky ASKED Helena to help. Are you aware that Nikolas Cassadine kept telling his brother that Elizabeth cheated on him. Thankfully Lucky didn't believe him that it was Jason or this might have been much, much worse. However, Cassadine wanted Elizabeth, that became clear in my meetings with him, he was jealous of Elizabeth's connections to Jason, so was that bitch that Bobbie gave birth to."

"Tell us how you really feel about Carly." drawled Alan with smirk, well aware that Kevin hadn't wanted to release her from Ferncliffe during her time there but had been over ridden.

"All I can say is that the best way of helping Emily, might be Elizabeth's return. I feel that the last part of her guilt is what is keeping her under in spite of all of our work. She has to face Elizabeth and tell her her part in what happened back then." Kevin explained.

"But she did it under Helena's orders." said Monica then she sat down on the wing back chair in front of the window and said "And that is what makes it worse, the guilt."

"Yes, especially since when Lucky first came back, Emily was one of the ones pushing Elizabeth back at Lucky in spite of what she saw as her friends reluctance." Kevin then said "I gave her a sedative, she will need sleep and time to recover once I get her at the clinic but I have to go talk to Mac Scorpio, he knows what is going since he is the one who asked me to speak to Emily."

"Kevin, is she in trouble?" Monica asked, worried about her daughter.

"No, because unlike with Lucky, she is still under the spell of what happened. You should know, Scorpio told me that that little boy, he is Elizabeth's. The police found him and he was reunited with his mother. I don't know if they are coming here, but I hope to god not. Lucky Spencer is a clear and deadly danger to her and thanks to his getting off on mental defect, no one seems to realize that."

Alan waited until his wife had walked Kevin out the door, then slipped into their bedroom and made a call. "Jason, if you get this message, call me. Its about Lucky Spencer, he might know that Elizabeth Webber might be in town. I am worried he might harm her."

Jason had heard the buzzing of his phone and sitting up listened to the messages. Twelve of them were from Carly, all asking where he was and another six were from Sonny wanting him to work on Sam so that she would let their daughter move to the Island. He heard the one from his father which had him frowning then he called back Stan. "What do you have?"

"A lot, did Elizabeth tell you about the fake engagement notice to Robin?" Hearing nothing, Stan said "Yeah, along with several other articles about the two of you. All were generated not by Carly and Courtney like I first thought. That was strictly Tracy Quartermaine. She altered your grandmothers will and was worried that Elizabeth might make a claim for her child."

"That greedy bitch." Jason said his eyes on his family who were fast asleep. "She destroyed my life for money and that damn company."

"Yeah, she did." Stan said grimly. "As for Spencer Sr, he was found in an alley about a half hour ago with what appears to be a deadly strain of the bird flu. They were calling his family today, amazingly they say that it happened rather quickly."

"You don't want to know. What about his ex-wife?" he asked curious as to what Laura was up to.

"Still locked inside of her mind at Shadybrook. Lulu went to her brother early this morning for money for her daddy. She doesn't know of course what is going on, but I got an earful on that bug in their house. Spencer is hung over, it shouldn't be too hard for your men to grab him."

"Fine, what about Cassadine?" he asked.

"He was celebrating the demise of the old Queen last evening. My men have pictures. We can destroy him without even breaking a sweat. The man I had on him, well he got photos that will also solve the Courtney problem. We can get her shipped to Sonny in mere hours."

"Okay leak them." he said. "Now, Carly is a special case, I want to see her destroyed, I want her to know why she is losing everything."

"Uh, she has bigger issues. Your I am assuming soon to be brother-in-law let loose a secret I found out a few years ago. Lets just say that her past sins have come home to roost and she is going to learn EXACTLY how her mother felt when she slept with Tony Jones."

Jason looked out the window as he put those pieces together. "Okay let that one be for now. Have some men go see Sam, tell her to serve Lucky with divorce papers. My guess, he signs them then ship her to the Island, tell her that she is going to get a quickie divorce."

"Olivia is going to have a cow, she LOATHES Sam." Stan said with a cold chuckle. "There are going to be sort of innocents hurt by the Cassadine photos, including the woman who was there."

"Unless you are telling me that Nik forced her, I don't care." he said his mind on protecting his family and only his family.

"No, no force." said Stan but he felt sorry for Nadine, her sister was out for the main chance and the blond was a bit naive and had no idea what her sister was up to.

Jason went to knock on Steven's door. When the blond opened it, still looking tired, Jason said "We have to speak to Johnny."

Downstairs, Jason told him what he had been told. "So, you sent this Lisa after Carly's husband."

Steven looked between Jason and Johnny then said "Yes."

"Damn, I was going to use my sister, she wants Lorenzo. Has for a very long time." said Johnny amused. "Okay, I will back Claudia off. For now. Spencer was found, not what I wanted but this can work for our benefit. Also that sister of his, she is trying to reach your family, Morgan. Wants to bring Spencer back here but the CDC is refusing to let him be transferred to the states."

"Do you want him here?" asked Steven as he lifted his cell phone. "I can arrange for that."

"Yeah, I want to see him, want to see both Tracy and him when they realize what their greed has cost them." Jason said coldly as he felt regret that Spencer was still alive but more than willing to make sure that the man knew why he was going to die.

"Okay." With that Steven called a contact at the CDC who then went to talk to his boss. A few minutes later, he was called back. "Its a go, Spencer will be transferred here if he agrees to sign the required paperwork."

Hanging up, Steven gave them the news and said "He has to agree to donate his body to science if anything goes wrong. I gather he isn't going to survive?"

"Thanks Steven." was all Jason said while Johnny thought about it, it would be revenge also against his family who would want to bury the man they thought of as a hero. Which suited him, he hated Lulu Spencer, her lies had cost him the woman he had loved almost five years before and her father had helped her.

"Steven, we have to tell Elizabeth about her daughter." he told the other man hating having any kind of a secret from his long lost love let alone this one.

"At least wait until you are in Italy, so she can go to the grave." Steven suggested knowing that his sister was already facing a lot of fears.

"I hate knowing this when she doesn't." Jason told him.

"How do you think I feel?" hotly asked Steven. "Do you get that for the last ten years, I have been in agony about how to tell her. Every single holiday, every single one of Cam's birthdays."

Jason nodded, he did get it, he just hated starting again with that not known. "I want a future with her, Steven."

"A blind man could see that."

Upstairs, Elizabeth woke up and looked at her son who was almost as tall as she was now. Brushing the curls off his forehead, she didn't know if she wanted to hug him or strangle him, to kiss him or to ground him. But for now, she was just going to lay there watching him, grateful he was safe.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up to see Jason entering the room with bags. "Clothes."

"I don't want to leave him." she confessed as she looked at their sleeping son.

"I will be here, watching over him." Jason said then with an embarrassed half grin said. "I uh, guessed on the sizes, or rather Johnny's staff did, so if something doesn't fit, just let me know."

Elizabeth went to shower, amused to find the same brand of soap and shampoo that she had used all those years ago inside the bag too. Showering, feeling clean as she changed into the clothes, she was amused to realize that everything but the shoes fit.

Slipping back into the other room, she slipped on her sneakers and then looked at Jason whose eyes seemed to be on her hair. "Its longer."

"I just pull it back in a braid or a pony tail most of time." she said flushing as she saw the heat in his eyes. "You are looking at me like I am dinner."

"I would say I am sorry, but Elizabeth I spent five years thinking you left me, then the last five looking for you all over the world, to me, the chance to see you, its a miracle." he said the sad but hopeful feelings in his voice making clear that she wasn't the only one who had been in pain.

"I know, I have spent all that time, thinking you died in love with Robin Scorpio and that I meant nothing to you." she said her voice cracking as she said the other woman's name.

"You have meant the world to me." he said his eyes full of emotion. "When I first got that letter, when I found it tucked into that book, I refused to accept it, but then others seemed to believe that you and I had been together and that you had dumped me for another man. Its why I let it stand as the truth, I thought that they had the circumstances wrong, but that it was the truth otherwise."

Looking down, Jason said "I was picking fights almost every single night at Jake's, putting myself in danger, then one night, I got so drunk, I woke up with Sonny's sister. It was the last night I had a drink. I have been completely sober since. I swear, Elizabeth."

Reaching out, she lifted his head, then said "Jason, you thought I dumped you I have no right to be jealous. To judge."

"I tried to get over you, went out a few times, a lot less than most might think, but it just never felt right. I would do stupid stuff, now, I regret my mistakes." he said then found himself starting to ask something he had no right to.

Elizabeth saw his face, reached out and said "The answer to the question you are trying to ask is no, but in truth it was more the result of being a single mother and that I didn't trust men, not after Lucky tried to hurt me that way. After he had helped me all those years ago, for him to..."

Holding her close, Jason swore that Spencer would pay and pay dearly. "I hate that I am happy about that."

"Me too." she said.

Sonny was now pissed, Jason hadn't called him back. Had ordered Stan to do so. "You tell Jason that if I don't hear from him personally in an hour, I am flying up there."

"Sonny, Jason is dealing with a family emergency." Stan pointed out.

"What, did something happen to the Quartermaines? Was it Michael?" he asked wondering if he might get his son back yet.

"No, its something else." he said. "Jason arranged for Sam to get divorced from Lucky, so that should help. He uh, Sonny, its something involving your sister, that is all I can tell you."

Lying, he mollified Sonny because heaven forbid Jason have a life outside of what Sonny allowed. Stan hung up and looked at the photos that had been sent to every single major media outlet and tabloid in the country as well as all of Cassadine's business contacts. The entire hospital staff and all of Cassadine's personal contacts.

He was just hitting the sent key to post the pictures to Courtney's facebook page when the first ping indicated that it was going viral. "Yes."

Five minutes later, sure enough, Sonny called back, his voice loudly insisting on knowing who was attacking him by hurting his sister that way. Telling the truth, sort of, Stan said "Its a business rival of Cassadine's, Jason is trying to find the photographer."

"Why, what he needs to be doing is locating the man who altered those disgusting photos." screamed Sonny as he looked at his computer. "My sister would never do anything like that."

"Sir, we tracked it back, these are stills from a released tape, one that Cassadine and your sister were making." Stan hid his annoyance, yeah, a woman who used to strip would never do anything that classless, seriously his ex-boss needed to check his meds.

Sputtering that Cassadine must have made her make that tape, Sonny was mollified by Stan telling him that Jason was even as they spoke trying to make arrangements for his sister to get away from the Russian. Hanging up, Stan called the guard assigned to Courtney and asked "Well, what did she say?"

"Nothing yet, but it seems like her husband finally learned what his business associates have seen and was heard calling out her name. My guess, she takes Jason's offer and flies out of town." he said and that was soon proven correctly as the married couple could be heard screaming accusations at one another then the sound of glass being broken.

Then silence, then finally Courtney came out of the room, furious at her husband's accusations. "Will you tell my brother that I will gladly leave town with Jason. That I only have to arrange for the nanny to prepare my son's bag."

Nik strode to the doorway "You don't even dare think of taking my son with you, do you hear me?"

"Fuck off, Nik." she spat out and reminded him that Granny was dead and there was no one left to for her to be scared of. "This was your bitch of an ex-girlfriend and why you can't see that Emily somehow got a hold of that tape and released it, I don't know. You owe me an apology and if I don't get one, well you will see how corrupt and powerful my brother really is."

"Stop boasting, you look like a fool." he sneered. "Your brother is a paper tiger, and Morgan he hates your guts."

"NO, NO HE DOESN'T." she spat out. "He just didn't want to against Sonny, Carly told me so."

"And you the fool still believe that garbage she was spouting, don't you?" he said. "I always knew you were stupid, but that didn't matter, I only wanted your body for our kid. But dearest wife, Jason Morgan is no more interested in fucking you than he is in fucking me."

"Well shows what you know, because he already did." she said smugly.

"Courtney, I know the truth." he said with a cold laugh. "I know that he was drunk out of his mind. I also know what he said the next day about it being a mistake and then apologizing for using you."

Courtney reached out to slap Nik, only for him to grab her hands. "No, I only like aggression in bed, outside, don't ever try to strike me again, Wife. You have two choices, stay or leave with the understanding that MY son stays here."

Making it seem like she was heading to the hospital, she quickly called Jason wanting him to rescue her son. Getting voice mail, she called her brother and after a huge argument about her husband, changed her mind and went home.

Nik meanwhile was going to talk to Emily, now that this tape was out there, he had to get her to keep her mouth shut. At the Quartermaine mansion, he was denied entrance, so leaving he went to see Lucky, knowing that Emily had never denied him anything.

Astounded to realize that his brother was drunk already that day and that he hadn't seen Emily the night before, Nik called his man watching his ex-wife. "You said that Lucky and Emily were at Jake's last night. What did they talk about."

"All the same crap, including how he would only leave his wife when he had his ex girlfriend back. Your ex told him that she believed his ex was in town with her son." said the guard who didn't bother telling his boss that he had been paid much, much more to stay out of things.

"Nothing else?" he asked ignoring the rumor about Elizabeth. That had been said repeatedly over the years and had always proven to be false. He didn't really give a damn one way or another, he was past his need to have an heir. At one point he had

considered her a possible wife, but that time, well it was long past.

"No." said the guard.

Nik walked back into Lucky's house, looked his brother over then said. "You are a damn fool, Lucky. An alcoholic who is about to lose his wife to Morgan because you can't stay out of a damn bottle. You are acting like Luke."

Lucky took a sip of the cold beer in front of him, then at his brother. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see how you were doing, but I would guess you either didn't get the call or ignored it. Luke is being brought back to Port Charles, he was infected somehow with a highly contagious version of bird flu. They don't think he is going to make it."

Shrugging, Lucky said "He didn't have the money to get home, Lulu was supposed to ask you for it, he is more than likely faking being sick."

"Believe what you want." said Nik who after he had left, canceled the check he had written to his little sister. Calling her, he left a voice mail message, making it clear he was not giving her another dime then went to see Emily at the hospital.

Being told she was home sick, he gritted his teeth but was soon heading down the hallway. Hearing Bobbie's response when he asked her about Luke, he realized that this was no scam, that Luke really was ill.

Knocking on the door of Alan Quartermaine's office, he was informed that the older man had been sent a copy of the tape via Jasper Jacks. "For the sake of the hospital, I would suggest that you resign from the board, at least temporarily and you should know, the nurse, she resigned."

Nik left after letting the man know he wasn't going to do any such thing, then went home to demand an answer from his wife. Courtney ignored him, she had been waiting for a response directly from Jason, instead she had been dealing with that computer geek Stan all day. Without any support, she looked at her husband and said "I am moving out, you should know, I had the nanny take Spencer off the island already. Don't you dare make the mistake of trying to steal my son away."

Leaving, she never saw his cold smile as he made the call. "How is my son?"

"Fine, sir." said the nanny as she checked on the little boy sleeping as the jet flew off to Greece in the middle of the night. "I did exactly as you ordered in regards to Mrs. Cassadine."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

When the small family was awake and showered, Elizabeth sat down to help Cameron write his apology letter while Jason spoke to someone on the phone. When he hung up, he walked over to where they were sitting and said "I have to go to see Alan and Monica, let them know what Tracy did to us. Cam, when I come back, hopefully I will be able to bring your grandparents with me."

"But they live in Russia." he said his nose crinkling as he looked at his father confused.

"Not Mommy's parents, daddy's." Elizabeth said and saw his eyes light up at the idea of more grandparents. "Jason, I am so sorry I didn't ask to speak to either of them, I can't believe that I trusted Tracy."

Kissing her forehead, Jason said with a regretful smile. "You had no reason to suspect that she would lie and tell you I was dead. That is all on her and her greed."

Steven entered the room, then asked Jason if he was sure that they would be safe at without one of them there. "Johnny will protect my family."

Nodding at the Italian, he hugged his son, then looked at Elizabeth before heading out. At the door where Johnny was standing, he whispered. "Sweet talk her all you like, just remember, she is mine."

With a quiet chuckle, Johnny went to join the twosome who were sitting at his desk while Steven and Jason left to drive to Port Charles. Dropping his cousin off at the police station, Jason drove to the hospital. Seeing Epiphany Johnson, he thanked her for helping Elizabeth then went to see his parents.

"Jason, we have something we have to tell you." Monica said then looking at Alan told him about what Emily was going through and then what she had done regarding the letter Elizabeth had written. "She made a mistake, Jason. It wasn't her fault."

His anger building, Jason looked at his parents then asked "Did you know that Lucky followed Elizabeth to the studio, that there was another incident AFTER what happened at the diner?"

"Yes, its why Elizabeth went to Mercy. Bobbie said that Lucky was really out of it and that he had slapped Elizabeth." Alan said "I never believed the brainwashing, I always felt that was a lie, that his hitting her was all on Lucky."

Jason looked at his parents, really looked at them and found that they weren't lying, that they really don't know. "I had Stan send you a file on my way here. Would you please open it."

Going to his computer, Alan did as requested, then gasped as he saw the black and blue body on the exam table, the limps that were clearly broken and the rib that was shown. "Jason, no, this can't be right. I spoke to..."

"That was Elizabeth's body after what was it you called it when I asked you five years ago, the INCIDENT." he spat out at his parents while his mother went to look at the screen.

When Monica landed in the chair, her face chalk white and gasping to avoid throwing up, Jason said "Emily's mistake, that is what it caused. What isn't shown on the report, Elizabeth was pregnant already and Lucky knew it. If it hadn't been for Helena having need of Lucky, he would have raped her, after having already done what you see. So forgive me if I don't accept that my sister made a mistake."

With that, Jason walked to the door then looked at his parents, saw their faces and rested his head on the door as he realized he was taking his anger out on them. "Elizabeth gave birth to two children, a boy, Cameron who lived, a girl, who as a result of the beating she took, died. She isn't aware of it, Steven has been keeping it from her. I came here to tell you about your grandson and Tracy's part in this mess, now, I- uh, I really just want to kill every single person who let Elizabeth down."

Alan looked at his son, realized that it was the guilt talking and walked over and reached out to press his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Jason, you weren't at fault in this. You must realize this."

"You don't understand. I had the feeling that something was wrong. I didn't want to leave, but Sonny ordered me to go, made me feel guilty about how I wasn't doing my job. MY JOB? In the end, I went to track that bastard down, came back and my whole life was turned upside down. Then Carly kept throwing that Courtney at me, so to escape for a few days, I faked my death to help that selfish bastard out again. If I hadn't done that, I would have known, I would have been there for Elizabeth, for Cameron."

Monica sat still, her mind on the idea of a grandson, her mind racing as she pieced together how badly all of this had gotten messed up and something stuck out. "Wait, what did Tracy do?"

"Elizabeth was in the hospital in Rome, she called the house and asked to speak to Lila. Tracy somehow ended up with the phone and told her that I was dead and that she was just trying to extort money from us by lying about being pregnant. Called her a gold digger and then said that she was only showing up because Lila had died." he said his tone flat as he mentally got it together to explain what they needed to know and what they didn't.

Then with a heaving exhale told them about the fake articles regarding Robin and the rest of it, including Lila's will and the ELQ stock that Tracy had been after. Looking at his shell-shocked father, Jason said "Its why she is stuck with Spencer, they made a deal."

Alan closed his eyes, he had no illusions about his sister, but still, to realize what she had cost them, what Helena's brainwashing of Emily had cost them had the man regretting asking Monica to let his sister stay in spite of her marriage to Luke.

"I am taking her down." Jason warned. "She is going to pay for what she did."

"I understand." Alan said then asked about his grandson. "May we meet him?"

"Yes, the two of you only. And Emily can't know, nor Edward. It all goes back to his greed, to his games regarding who is going to run ELQ. I refuse to let him near my son." he said coldly as he opened the door. Turning he looked at his parents. "Emily is not to know, nor have any contact with Elizabeth or our son. Now if you will excuse me, I have to fumigate the penthouse."

Sam was annoyed at the latest call from Bobbie Spencer Jones, but that was not half as bad as the calls from Carly who was demanding to know why she hadn't had Jason call her. "He isn't here, Carly. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Well get him there." she shrieked only to have the phone hung up on her.

Sam turned her phone off when she saw who was walking through the door. "Jason?"

"Sit down, Sam." he insisted then went next door and brought Courtney over as the woman began to cry hysterically about Nik having stole her child. "ENOUGH!"

When they were both quiet, he said "Courtney, I spoke to my attorney. Diane said that you agreed in case of divorce that any children would remain with Nik, that you would take a million dollars for each year the child was under eighteen instead. Now, he has agreed to give you eleven million dollars, that money was deposited into your account."

"But Jason, I was humiliated..."

"Courtney, you made the tape, I have heard the audio part where you were the one setting it up. Now I spoke to Sonny, he agrees with my decision. You can go to the island or you can go back to your husband. Those are the choices."

Courtney debated, then said "What if I want to remain here?"

"Then go back to your husband." he snapped not wanting to bother dealing with her. He wanted all of Sonny's family gone, let them annoy his former friend.

"But he is insisting on living in Greece, I want to stay in Port Charles." she stated as she looked at Jason for sympathy.

"Courtney, then stay but you need to understand, you are on your own." he pointed out. "Have you considered heading to Carly's new home?"

"She is coming here for a month." she muttered. "But she won't take my calls."

"Then you know what you have to decide. Greece or the Island?" he asked making it clear that he really didn't give a damn which one she chose.

Courtney debated, down on the island, she had to be nice to that bitch Olivia, had her brother constantly interfering in her life, or Greece where she would at least have unlimited funds and her son. Looking at Jason, wanting him for a third option, but knowing that it hadn't happened as of yet. She looked around the penthouse then said "I want to go home to my husband."

"Call him and tell him so." Jason requested and then when he heard the latest, swore under his breath. Cassadine had told his wife he didn't want her back. That Alexis had filed papers before he had gotten on his jet to leave. "Wait, why would..."

Hearing a knock on the door, Jason went to answer it and saw the attorney who nodded at him then entered the penthouse. "Courtney, I am sorry about this, but my nephew fled the country a few minutes ago. He took that nurse Crowell with him. I have been ordered to get your signature on these papers, your belongings were packed up by the staff and are currently being held in a truck downstairs."

Her jaw dropping Courtney couldn't believe that Nik had dared to dump her and said "And if I refuse to sign them?"

Alexis looked at her with a pitying expression. "If you do so, then he still gets his divorce but you get nothing. I am so sorry Courtney but I warned you when you married him that this was not a good idea."

Courtney took out her phone and called Nik, after a loud argument, she snapped. "I always knew that that bitch Jolene was after you."

Finally signing the papers, she tossed them at Alexis then said "Tell the men to bring my stuff up here."

"Belay that order." Jason said scowling at Courtney who looked at him with tears flowing down her face shocked at his not letting her stay. "Courtney you are not staying in my penthouse. You can either go to your old loft that Ric bought for you or move to the island with Sonny."

Pouting at him, she saw the frown on Sam's face then said "I guess I will go and visit Sonny."

"I will arrange for the jet to fly you both there. Sam, you need to speak to Sonny and deal with this custody crap. He wants to spend time with his daughter and your reasons for that not happening are no longer acceptable."

"Jason, I can't leave town, Lucky's dad..." She began to offer excuses but was cut off.

"Sam, no more excuses." he snapped. "Also, when you return, Lucky will no longer be living with you and Danielle. Kick his ass out because I am done running interference for you."

Her eyes narrowing, she spat out. "You can't tell me what to do about my marriage."

"Sam, then stop coming to me with your problems. I gave you a solution, you refuse to listen to me and I am sick and tired of being put in the middle. So go to the island, let Sonny spend time with his daughter and deal with this." with that he went to the door. "The jet is leaving in two hours, both of you will be on it."

In the hallway, Jason called Sonny and staying calm said "I am sending a protesting Courtney and Sam to you. I need them to stay down there so that I can deal with things up here. Its bad enough that Carly and her husband are coming to town."

With a sigh, Sonny said "I know, she has been blowing up my phone. Olivia is pissed at her annoying us so much, she is under the impression that you are about to do something she has to protect you from."

"Did she say what she was talking about?" he probed curious as to whether Carly had let anything slip to Sonny. He had the feeling her upcoming visit was to protect her lies, he was sure that somehow she knew that he was learning the truth.

"No, but normally it is only Robin who sends her into orbit like this, or Elizabeth, but you were done with her when you came home that last time." Sonny said bored with the subject. Robin was no longer of any interest to Jason and that Carly didn't see that annoyed him and Elizabeth, she hadn't been seen in over ten years.

"What makes you think I was done with Elizabeth?" he asked suddenly curious as to what the hell was going on in Sonny's head.

"Well, you didn't go chasing after her when you heard about Lucky and her fight." he said with a bored tone. "Like I told Luke, you had no interest in Elizabeth Webber, that the two of you were only friends. If you two had had sex, it was like it was for Alexis and I, something you regretted afterwords. I mean, Jason, I know you, someone like Elizabeth, someone who would want to change you, no, that wasn't the right person for you."

"Sonny, you only think you know me." he said then hung up the phone. Calling Johnny to check on his family, he was amused to learn that Elizabeth was making Cameron do his school work and that his son was pouting as he worked on his spelling words. "I have to go talk to Ruiz, make it clear that I am done, Sonny will not be happy but once the paperwork is signed, my company will cease to exist in Port Charles."

"My attorney sent Diane an official offer, she sent it back signed. I will arrange for the money to go to your accounts over the next three days." Johnny said as Jason debated whether or not he could keep things settled between now and then. "And Spencer arrives tonight."

"Good." he said then went to remind the guards that the two women were to leave that day. Making one more stop, Jason saw Georgie Jones leaving before knocking on Mac's door. "Steven here?"

"Yes, come in." with that, Mac let them know that Maxie was in New York City for her job. "Georgie just left, she went to study. She takes the bar at the end of the month so she shouldn't be back for a while."

With that, he offered Morgan coffee unaware that Georgie had returned to get her high lighters and was getting an earful as Jason told Mac what had gone on. "I know, why do you think I loathed Spencer so much. Taggert and I were the ones who responded to the call. Maxie refused to listen to me when I said Lucky was so dangerous. I went to find the file, to show her what he had done, it was missing from the station."

"You should know, I saw the little that was left, was under the impression that it was the fight at the diner, which was bad enough. I had no idea the hell he had put Elizabeth through." Jason said his hands tightly clasped. "Mac, how the hell did he get out not going to prison. Not even Alexis is that good."

"I never knew." he said bleakly. "So Lucky knew she was pregnant when he attacked her."

"Yes and I gather you know about Emily and the letter. Could Helena have sent her into the police files to remove what Lucky did from them?" he asked.

"NO!" Startled all three men saw Georgie standing there, her hands on the back of the sofa, looking horrified then at Jason, her eyes pleading for what seemed like forgiveness. "I oh my god, I might have... I saw Luke, I kept quiet because I thought he had been meeting Mom down there."

Her hands shaking, Georgie looked at Jason then at her father. "During the trial, when it came out that Mom and he were seeing each other, I didn't believe her that it was a one time thing. I saw Mom in the bull pen, with you, then Luke downstairs. I swear, I didn't know..."

"Georgie, its okay." said Mac while Jason realized she had no culpability in this, but needing answers was a bit harsh as he asked if Luke had been carrying the file.

"No, at least I don't think so." she said slowly. "I saw him, it was summer and he had nothing in his hands. When he was talking to Carly a bit later, I remember she had something in her purse that was bulky, because I saw her later at the hospital, speaking to her mother. She uh, flipped out when Michael wanted a piece of candy and went into her purse to get it."

"Thank you, Georgie." Jason said. "I suspect that Carly got rid of the file."

"Why she doesn't like Lucky at all." said the twenty three year old clearly bewildered as to why the blond would even think of helping.

"Its not about Lucky, she hates Elizabeth because she knows I love her." Jason said then standing, looked at Mac. "Lucky needs to face justice, I swore I would make sure this went back to court somehow."

"Well its covered by double jeopardy." he said then looked at Jason. "The baby, you need to talk to Elizabeth. We can charge him with the death of that child."

"I don't want to use our child to make him pay." Jason said firmly.

Johnny Zachara however had had another idea, one he hadn't shared with Morgan. Sure enough, later that day when Luke was brought to town, Lucky showed up at the hospital. He had gone to track his wife down and had been furious to learn that she was gone, left earlier that day for Sonny's island.

He had left an angry voice mail message then had gone to see his aunt about why she had been blowing up his phone. Hearing about his father being supposedly close to death, he rolled his eyes and went in wearing what he was told to see the man.

Within minutes, Lucky was infected by the virus as he had removed his father's breathing apparatus still under the arrogant belief that nothing would kill his father. Beginning to leave his room, he set off the alarm and was soon restrained by the CDC and put into a lock down room.

An hour later the drunk was demanding to be let out in spite of being told he had to be kept in an observation room for seventy two hours. An few hours later, he was desperate for a drink, as he tried to bribe the security guards watching him if they would just, just get him a beer.

Arriving back at Crimson Point, Jason spent the rest of the day with his family. Helping Cam with his spelling, listening as Elizabeth filled him in on all the big moments he had missed even as she promised to show him photos of all them big and small.

Johnny watched the family until it was almost bed time then went up to his own room, his mind on all the ways that he would make Spencer pay. Not only for what he had cost him but for what he had cost Jason and the family he clearly loved.

It was dawn when he got the message, going to wake up Morgan, he told the man to join him out on the observation desk. Once there, he gave him the files. "Corinthos really didn't know. I didn't believe you, mainly because I have never trusted that man. Still, I am amazed he didn't question any of it."

"Like you said, selfish." replied Jason as he saw that Carly had clearly known about everything except maybe the pregnancy. She had known Lucky was a threat but hadn't cared. Same with Luke it was all about Lucky. What hurt him as well was that while Bobbie had believed the lies that her brother had told, she had actively been part of the cover up after the beating.

Jason entered the large house, hearing the early morning quiet, he loped up the stairs to see Cameron was reading yet again and Elizabeth was sitting across from him smiling as the ten year old read out loud to her. "May I join this party?"

Patting the seat next to her, Elizabeth and he listened and on occasion helped Cam with the harder words as he read to them all about duck-billed platypus. Jason felt a sense of loss as he looked at the ten year old, his son... there was almost a sense of awe as he realized that Elizabeth had been raising their child all by herself. That this remarkable child came from them, that thanks to Lucky they had lost the chance to raise his sister as well.

"Morgan?"

Turning to see John standing there, Jason asked Cameron how he would like to meet his cousins. Seeing Elizabeth's confusion, he said "AJ brought over Michael, he is a few years older, but I thought that it might make Cameron feel better about some things."

AJ entered with the red head behind him. Michael didn't look too pleased to be there, but that soon changed when he saw that the little boy was younger than him and not anything like what he had expected. Twenty minutes later, they were off in a small den with AJ watching them play video games.

"Elizabeth, my parents and Steven are waiting downstairs." Jason said soberly as he escorted her to the large study. After Monica and Alan greeted Elizabeth and apologized for Tracy, they asked that after she heard the whole story she decide whether or not they got to meet their grandson.

That scared her, but she sat down and as she told what had happened, they explained that Emily had also been brainwashed and how long it was taking to free her from what Helena and Lucky had done. "We had no idea, none that he had had a part in what had been done to our daughter, until Emily told us with Dr. Collins yesterday morning."

Monica looked at Alan then knowing that it was important to be completely honest said "That letter that you have no idea how Lucky got a hold of. Helena ordered Emily to give it to him. She handed it to Emily."

"How did she get it?" asked Elizabeth astounded. "I wrote it and stuck it in a secret hiding place for when Jason and I left. I never told anyone where it was, not even Jason knew where my hiding place was."

"I can't answer that." she said then continuing said "Emily after a long time in therapy remembers giving it to Lucky. Dr. Collins said that the key word seems to be Lucky's voice saying he loves you or something similar."

Shuddering, Elizabeth said "Lucky doesn't know the meaning of the word."

"Elizabeth, most people in town were aware of what happened at the diner. What happened at your studio, no one but Mac and that detective of his really knew. Luke stole the records, Georgie Jones saw him but no one pieced it together. When it went to trial, the judge refused to consider any of it without evidence."

"My medical records were proof that I was beaten, Steven. You know that, you were at the hospital." she protested.

"Elizabeth, other than the ones that I took with me, to help you, they were gone." he said and saw her eyes close in agony. "Yeah, someone from that family had them removed too."

"At Mercy? How?" she asked determined to get answers.

"I spoke to the head of the ER, he was still there as a doctor when you were admitted." Monica then took a deep breath. "A blond nurse from GH showed up to pick them up. He remembers because he refused to give them without credentials. It was Amy."

"Amy Vining, Laura's sister." she said surprised that she would help after all, she had never seemed to care one way or another.

"That is what it looks like." Jason looked at her and said "My people found the records on Luke's barge. I have no idea why he kept them, but he did."

"So he knew I was pregnant when he went into court and stood there saying that Lucky didn't mean to hurt me, that it was all on Helena?" she asked not surprised but at the same time sickened at how far that family would go to protect Lucky from facing his crimes.

"No." said Monica who told her that Epiphany Johnson hadn't recorded that into the files yet when they had gone missing. "Oh, by the way, the records now only showed that Lucky had punched you once and that you fell hitting your head making anything else you say suspect because of the head injury."

Elizabeth shook her head, then looked at Jason. "What aren't you telling me about this?"

" We now know that Nik somehow found out that I was staying at your studio. Helena and he had wanted you for his wife. He was jealous and kept egging Lucky on, wanting him to discover the truth about us. It looks like he wanted Lucky to kill me, so that he would have a clear shot at you."

"I have never seen Nik in that light, ever." she said slightly sick at this latest betrayal. "He would have been better off with Emily who had a crush on him."

"They got together, then broke up. Nik cheated on Emily constantly." said Monica. "This latest time, it was with Courtney Lansing who ended up pregnant. He split with Emily, married Courtney and now... well it looks like Nik fled with their child."

"Who is Courtney?" she asked confused.

"Sonny's half sister and the next part of this mess."

"No, first we have to cover your faked death." Steven said and with a look at the Quartermaines, "Plus what Tracy did."

"Okay, Moreno was coming after Sonny with the help of an out of town family who had their own reasons for wanting him dead. Brenda Barrett was alive and it was pretty much a mess. I was shot and Sonny had the brilliant idea of my faking my death and tracking Brenda and this man Luis Alcazar down."

With a deep breath, Jason said "I had come home from my trip when you were already gone. Stopped into the studio and other than a new lamp it looked like you were still in town. I uh, put my bag in the closet and laid down planning on getting some sleep, figuring you were at class. When you didn't come back that night, I went to the diner, thinking you might be closing."

"I was already gone though." she said her mind in the past.

"Yes, but I didn't know that. There was this bored blond there, she told me that she didn't know an Elizabeth Webber and that she had been hired two weeks before. I was shocked, so I called Johnny and Francis. Francis showed up, said that Johnny had died in a battle with Helena Cassadine. Then he had an odd look on his face. Told me that you had fled town after the fight. That I needed to speak to Sonny."

Jason's face was stone as he said "I didn't, I went back to your studio, there were clothes in the closet, there was a half finished painting on the easel. I was not sure what to believe but then I knocked over my book that I had left there and this sealed letter fell out."

"I opened it and it was wrinkled, like someone had written it, thrown it out and then had decided to send it after all. I sat down and read it, still confused because it made no sense to me." he said.

"Jason, it didn't have your name on it; plus Lucky had it balled up in his hand when he was hitting me." she said her voice cracking as she said that last part.

"Elizabeth, the envelope did." he said then told her. "I still have it, I kept it at the studio."

"You still have her studio?" asked Steven surprised by the news.

"I bought the building." he replied only for Steven to ask if anyone had ever lived there after Elizabeth.

"No, why?" he asked only for Steven to hold up his hand as he called Mac Scorpio who gave him the disappointing news. Hanging up he said "Mac told me that he had sent a Criminal Investigations team back in a few years ago, that thanks to whoever cleaned the place up, there is no evidence left."

"That is because our people are good." said Jason almost spitting out the words as he looked at Johnny who nodded then Jason continued. "The guards on Elizabeth, they were lured away that night by Carly. I don't know if she knew what Lucky was going to do or not, but she was well aware that he was dangerous and deliberately left Elizabeth vulnerable."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Alan.

With a sigh, Jason said "Marco and Paulie, felt sick at what had happened, they arranged for one of our teams to clean things up for Elizabeth. They were trying to help. Two weeks later, they also died in this final battle with Helena. Oddly enough, all the guards I trusted ended up dead. Francis was the only one alive and that was because he had gone to the island."

"Morgan, did Corinthos set his own people up?" asked Johnny not sure that that was much of a coincidence.

"I don't know, I just think that these were our best people and that they ended up in the mess because of who they were." he said shuddering at the alternative. That Sonny sent seven men to their deaths to cover up his culpability in this conspiracy to force Elizabeth and him apart.

"Anyhow, I was a wreck after reading the letter, went to see Sonny who gave me this story that there was a huge fight with Helena and that it was all dealt with. Not a word about what Lucky had done." Jason said "That was all he said and the easy way he dismissed it had me assuming that it had been just one more battle. He then quickly turned to business and I left town that very night to try and track Elizabeth down."

"I came home a few months later and moved into the studio. Carly showed up less than two hours after I had done so with Michael. It was a strange visit and then next thing I knew, I had left with her for Kelly's. There she kept trying to push Courtney on me and when I said I wasn't interested, she went ballistic. I moved out of the studio because I hated how she would walk around in it touching Elizabeth's things. I began staying at Jake's, getting plastered every single night."

"I remember." said Alan who then told his son that "AJ came to me, wanted our help to reach you. That was when you decked him."

"I don't remember doing so." he admitted as he looked at Elizabeth who was clearly upset. "I don't remember a lot except picking fights all the time. I was numb then one morning I woke up with that blond in my room. I uh, I was still dressed partway but she claimed we had had sex. It shocked the hell out of me and I haven't drunk anything since."

"I still think she was lying to you." said AJ from the doorway. Seeing their concern, he said "Zachara I think your sister has arrived, I left her playing games against my son and nephew."

"That would be Claudia." he said rolling his eyes at her competitiveness. She could never walk away from any kind of game no matter the age of the opponent. "Jason, for what it is worth, I agree with your brother."

"Either way, a few days later, Sonny and I had an argument, I didn't want to track Brenda down, that was one mess we didn't need and she was in the process of marrying Jax when she had died. Then Luis Alcazar blew up our warehouse and it was so easy to fake my death. I stopped over to see Lila, she was the only person I told the truth to. I then went looking and quickly found Brenda. When I came back, Sonny was acting oddly, later on we would learn about the manic depression, but at that point we had no idea."

With a sigh Jason said "I spent the next four years putting out fires created by either Carly or Courtney because Sonny refused to accept that his sister nor his brother were not to be trusted." his mind on the past he said "With Elizabeth gone, with grandmother dead, I was a mess."

"At least we now know why that Tracy lied to Elizabeth." Johnny took out the original will. "I also found this at the Haunted Star with Spencer's crap."

AJ took it and read it, then said "That viscous bitch. She knew this was in the real will?"

"She had a fake will created. I also have her reports from a private investigator who couldn't find any trace of an Elizabeth Hardy. She then suddenly married Luke Spencer just before the major board meeting that year." said Johnny. "About three years ago, she began to cut him off of her money. Its sporadic but it looks like she is finding his little hidey holes and trying to free herself from him."

"My guess with his illness, she must be happy." said Monica. Seeing the men disagreeing, she frowned.

"Monica, she has to know he has multiple copies, my guess is that if confronted with the proof she will flee." said Alan who looked at his son. "Jason, for mother, please be discreet."

"No, she pays in a way that will hurt her the worst." he stated then continued "That led me to a few other truths and when I came back, Sonny was pushed to his Island and I slowly began to make the changes I wanted. Meanwhile I had hired experts to look at Elizabeth's letter, their findings didn't change anything. But the part that makes me still concerned about that geek Spinelli is that I had him looking into your family, Elizabeth. He claims that their was no contact between them and you."

"Which isn't true but Jason..." she let Steven take over.

"Jason, we hid all contact, even our visits were covered." he said. "They would have to be damn good to locate any proof of Elizabeth."

With his head bowed, Jason thought things through then looked at Johnny who said grimly "That is just it, Spinelli is supposed to be the best. I mean he has located things that no one else ever has. I did some research, Elizabeth's art work is sold in a gallery, it is hidden but this Spinelli, he should have located her."

"Which means he lied but for who, Carly, Sam or Lulu?" he asked grimly.

"Lulu?" asked Elizabeth surprised. "She is barely old enough to drive."

Scoffing, Johnny moodily went to stand at the window, while Jason said to Elizabeth. "From the day she came back from boarding school, she has been in trouble. Imagine a combination of Luke and Carly and that is Lulu. By the way, she is almost twenty two."

Elizabeth saw the man at the window then looked at Jason. "I would guess that she has been trouble for Johnny?"

To the woman standing in the doorway, the beautiful brunette wasn't exactly a shock as she then looked at Jason Morgan then her brother. "We all need to talk."

Looking at her brother then at AJ, she winked at the annoying businessman then said "You might want to take your son home, this needs to stay in house."

"Excuse me?" he asked as she looked at the others. "And the pretty boy needs to go stay with his nephew and take the grandparents with him."

"Claudia..." Johnny said in a warning tone only for his sister to shrug and cross her arms while glaring at all of them. "What do you know?"

"Look, just do as I ask, I will only tell the three of you." she said. Monica and Alan looked to Elizabeth who sighed and then looked at Jason. "Morgan, your parents want to know if you will let them near your son."

Elizabeth's eyes met Jason's then looked at Steven who saw her acceptance as he offered to make the introductions. "However, that doesn't mean Emily is acceptable, just yet."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

At the Zachara home, Claudia looked at Elizabeth then at the two men and said "I saw a picture of you before I left town. On Spinelli's computer, a recent photo."

"When and where?" asked Jason in a clipped tone.

"At that diner down by the docks and it was the day before I left. He was sitting with that wife of Lucky's Spencers." she said dramatically.

"Can't you just say Sam?" asked an annoyed Johnny.

"About her, no. I know a perfectly nice person named Sam, and frankly that skank is ruining the name for me." she said then looking at Elizabeth said "I think that Sam and that geek were trying to track you down. The question is why and how far did they get?"

Jason lifted his cell phone then called the two men they had on Spinelli. "Grab him and find out his interest in Elizabeth Webber."

Hanging up, he said "Elizabeth and I need to take a bike ride after we visit with our family, Johnny keep a helping eye on our son."

"What about me?" asked Claudia who wanted to help.

"Do what you do best, go stir shit up and find out why Carly is in town. The real reason." snapped her brother once Jason and his girlfriend had left. "I would like for once to finally get rid of that family."

"And if it takes down Corinthos, all the better." she murmured then was stopped by Johnny and given the news regarding Lorenzo. With a sigh, she said "Its fine, I am over him. I met someone in Italy little brother, someone whose interest match mine and who can keep up with me in bed."

"Okay, more than I need to know." he said then when she had left, made a call. "What is going on?"

"Withdrawal from the alcohol combined with the drugs we injected him with. He will be a very sick boy. Daddy dearest is hanging on, but he won't get better." said his man. "You have two maybe three days at the most."

"And Cassadine?" he asked.

"Man, his punishment has to be worse than his crime." said the other man chuckling. "That blond woman will take him for what he is worth and my guess, he ends up having an accident. How did you know to send her after him?"

"I heard that Nadine was interested in being a momma without going through child birth, this way, when her sister ends up knocking him off, she get the money and the kid too." he said. "I might need to send you to the Caribbean."

"Okay, just let me know." said the other man hanging up as Johnny went to his desk and pulled out the photo that used to rest on top.

With a sigh, he traced his fingers down the freckles and then returned the photo to its hiding place. Thanks to Lulu he lost what had once meant the world to him, now he could only watch from afar as she lived her life.

Maxie who had just returned was at Kelly's getting a bowl of chili and speaking to Georgie who was brooding about something when she heard her name being called. Turning to see Lulu she grimaced at her news regarding Carly and hoped she was wrong about why the older blond was in town. She had heard rumors that Sam had moved in on Jason and she was all for that relationship if it freed Lucky.

"Maxie, do you hear a word I am saying?" she snapped only to stop speaking when she saw Dillon who was clearly not happy to see her anymore than she was happy to see him. "Carly is hoping to visit with Michael like the judge agreed to while in town. You might want to tell AJ that he can't keep her son away."

"They will meet, I am sure of it." he said placating the blond knowing that AJ had his own plans to deal with Carly. Lulu quickly left and went to visit her cousin at the Port Charles hotel.

After a long drive home, during which she almost crashed twice from Maxie grabbing her arm, Georgie watched the drama as her sister found out that Lucky Spencer was sick from Robin. "But, you have to save him, Robin. I love him, I have loved him since I was six years old."

With disgust, Robin look at her young cousin then at Georgie. Relaxing when she saw her other cousin's annoyance, she said "Maxie, he is a married man and to be honest, I am not so sure that he is free from that brainwashing all those years ago. Why don't you find a young man your own age and stop chasing after your childish crush."

"Why doesn't anyone realize that I love him? I mean you were my age when you loved Stone, when you loved Jason, Robin. Georgie you thought you were in love with..."

Georgie stood and glared at her sister stopping her from speaking. "Maxie, enough, you know damn well that... never mind, you still won't own up to your part in that mess. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go speak to dad about something and if I were you, I would consider packing your bags. He has already warned you twice about Lucky. If you keep trying to see him, you will end up living at the Brownstone like he threatened before."

With that, she slammed out of the house and Maxie shrugged. "Why can't she see that I was trying to help her. I mean, its why I helped Lulu."

Shaking her head, Robin said "Because you weren't helping Georgie. You were helping Lulu and my guess the Spencers who wanted his money for the Haunted Star. Maxie you can't control who you love but you can control your actions. An affair with a married man, one is also sleeping with the bar sluts at Jake's, that is what you want for your future?"

"Lucky loves me." she said pounding her chest to emphasize what she was saying. "Me, not that bitch Sam, not that tramp Elizabeth who ran off with Jason Morgan and abandoned him when he needed her most. Me!"

Robin got the uneasy feeling that her sister truly believed what she was saying. She could remember Lucky's old girlfriend and while she really hadn't know the woman, she had heard from her uncle about what he had done to her. With a look of pity, she left Maxie and went to look at her latest protocol findings to try and figure out what was going on with her patient and why she wasn't getting better like she should be.

In the large suite at the Port Charles hotel, Lulu quickly greeted her cousin who explained that she had had to twist Lorenzo's arm to get to come to town.

"What ended up working was his new personal assistant needed training, so I was able to convince him that Port Charles was the perfect spot." she said as she sat down with her young cousin. "So, has that bitch returned?"

Frowning a bit, Lulu asked who, then hearing the name scowled and said "No, at least I haven't heard anything. Besides, my dad and Lucky are in the hospital with what is some scary bird disease."

"Lucky is?" Carly asked annoyed, worried that without his help she wouldn't be able to keep Elizabeth away from Jason. Then taking out her phone made a call. "Where is Jason?"

"I don't know, he shipped me to the island with Courtney." snapped Sam as she glared at her ex-lover and his wife who were fawning all over her daughter. They were playing tea time with Danielle and she was feeling left out. It had been that way since they had landed two hours ago.

"Wait, tell Courtney to call me." Carly demanded as she hung up her phone and got all the rest of the gossip from Lulu. Deciding that maybe she was overreacting and that Elizabeth was already gone, she groaned when the blond gave her the news about Courtney just as her husband's new assistant entered the room.

"Mrs. Alcazar, I am going to the mall for your husband, is there anything you would like me to pick up." she said with a sweet smile as she deferred to Carly. The blond gave her a long list with instructions and when the assistant had left, saw Lulu was staring at the door.

"Aren't you afraid to let someone like that be around your husband?" she asked about the beautiful red head who seemed almost too perfect.

Scoffing, Carly said "She's gay, Lulu."

"Huh?" she asked.

"Lisa doesn't like men, I heard her telling someone that before her interview with my husband, its why I insisted he hire her." she said. "I am no fool."

Lulu just went back to gossiping as over the next few hours she filled Carly in on the rest of the town. "I saw one of the Quartermaines like you asked, he said he was sure that AJ would follow the judge's orders regarding Michael."

Carly grimaced, not really trusting Lulu to be telling the truth, after all she was well aware of who her cousin was and her habit of taking the easy way out.

Lorenzo who was entering the room, looked at his wife then said "Your ex just called, he will arrange for you to visit with Michael at the hospital, at Kelly's or here at the hotel, but your mother's place isn't acceptable."

"Well I want to see my son. I guess that Kelly's will do. Maybe Jason will show up." she said with a hopeful expression on her face while her husband said in a neutral tone, maybe well aware that it would not happen unless he called the blond man.

Lulu left and Lorenzo went to kiss his wife, who turned him away saying that she wanted to look just perfect when she saw Michael which meant spending the morning at the spa. "I am just too tired tonight, sweetie."

It was barely eight thirty but Lorenzo shook his head just accepting her answer. Hearing someone at the door, he went to open it and saw his assistant carrying several big bags. "What is all of this?"

"Oh, the various items that your wife requested I pick up." Lisa said while pretending to be upset and exhausted as she placed the bags on the sofa. "I wasn't expecting it to weigh so much."

"Why didn't you take a guard?" she was asked while Lorenzo lifted the bags and frowned at his barely being able to lift them.

"Mrs. Alcazar said I was only to have guards with me when I am with either of you, sir." she said then dug a little more at his wife. "I am so sorry sir, I tried to find the toy she asked for for her son, but it is apparently very popular this year. Would you please let her know, I did my best."

Lorenzo nodded then when she went to leave, saw her stop. "Sir, do you know what time the restaurant closes, or if there is an all night diner nearby. I didn't get to eat before I ran to do the errands, I didn't want to only get through half the list, after all Mrs. Alcazar said that it was very important to get these items back and gift wrapped."

Lorenzo felt bad for the young woman and soon had a steak dinner brought up for both of them. Sharing a bottle of wine with her, he slowly drew her out on her background and felt bad as he recalled what his staff down in Venezuela had told her about how his wife treated the young woman who had only just joined the staff two days before.

When Lisa went back to her room, she smirked as she changed into her bed clothes and plotted out how to make things look even worse the very next day. She had been surprised at how quickly she had gotten him to have dinner with her. Maybe things weren't so well in the Alcazar marriage after all.

Arriving at the bridge, Jason helped Elizabeth off the motorcycle and sat her down on the bench he had built there years ago. "Jason, what is it?"

"I will explain when we are seated." he replied as they looked up at the stars in the peaceful quiet of the night. When he had it all arranged in his mind, he looked at her, felt sick at what he was about to tell her then just said "Steven gave me some news, something he never told you all those years ago."

"About what?" she asked not sure she liked how he seemed so tense. "What is it Jason?"

"When you were admitted, they ran a pregnancy test, which you know." he said his hands reaching for her. "Its why he was so worried then when Lucky showed up, he was in such a hurry to get you away. They missed something, Elizabeth."

"Oh god, was there permanent damage, am I sick, Jason?" she asked starting to get scared as she felt a coldness creeping into her soul.

"Elizabeth, you were shown limited sonograms, right?" he asked gently. "Did they ever tell you why?"

"Damage from the beating." she murmured. "Was there something wrong with my baby, Jason, is there something wrong with Cam?"

"Cam was and is fine." he said as reassuring as he could be as he gathered his courage. "Steven wanted to tell you but at the time, your doctor was worried about your mental state, so he asked him to keep it to himself. Elizabeth you were carrying twins."

Her eyes crossed then her nose wrinkled for a minute as she absorbed what he was telling her. "Jason, no, that isn't possible, I gave birth to one child, a boy. I remember very clearly that much before I l..lost... oh my god, why didn't someone tell me?" she asked her mind on how she had lost consciousness after that.

"Steven waited for you to heal a bit, then your grandmother wanted to be there to offer support." he said. "When she passed, your brother, he didn't know what to do or say. He had our daughter, she was buried, Elizabeth. In Italy."

As the woman he loved burst into tears as the emotions overran her, he could only hold her as his own emotions overflowed. "A girl, I had a daughter, Cam had a twin."

Crying together until they were all cried out, she was barely hanging on as she asked where? Being told what Steven had done, she was angry with her brother for lying to her and at the same time grateful for his taking care of her little girl. "I had a daughter, we had a daughter and I didn't even know it, Jason. How can I not have known. What kind of mother does that make me?"

"A very good mother, Elizabeth. Never, ever doubt that." he said holding her tightly as she trembled while she thought about what they had lost. What Lucky had cost them.

"Do you think he would have ever told me?" she asked as her voice broke at her brother's making a choice for her that she should have done.

"I think that knowing it has taken such a huge toll on him that he has had fears of telling you, Elizabeth. Of telling me." he said while his mind went to how he had lost so much time with both of his children. "He named her Audrey."

"Its what I was going to name Cam if he had been a girl." she said her voice distant as she laid her head on his shoulder and cried yet again. It was two in the morning when they had come to face that they needed to deal with this more at a later date.

"Elizabeth, I can deal with Lucky, without you facing him. Please, let me do so!" he asked he said, needing to be the one to end this, to end the torment his family had suffered.

"I never want to see him again." she said with a sigh. "Emily and I need to talk, I wish I had had a chance to confront Nik and a few others but I have a new life, one I hope you want to share and I refuse to let them keep me mired in my past."

Johnny saw the couple returning from his bedroom window, when he heard the soft noises then silence he wasn't surprised to realize that they had fallen asleep. Letting things go, he himself went to his own lonely bed, dreaming of things that were lost to him.

He missed as his sister slipped out of the house, went to Port Charles proper and got an earful from her spies. "Spencer is an idiot."

Stopping over where the men had the computer geek, Claudia saw that they were trying to intimidate the geek and all it was doing was turning him into an even larger blithering idiot than usual. Silently nodding and sending all the men away, she looked at the geek and said "Why did they tie you up, were you trying to escape?"

"Mistress of the dark, no, alas, they tied me up the moment we arrived at this place of confrontation." he said. When she pulled a knife out of a drawer in the nearby kitchen, then sliced through the ropes on his hands, he gave her his thanks then asked why she was there. "I have done no more work for the lovely blond one, not since you threatened to remove my most wondrous man parts and feed them to me."

Shaking her head as she remembered how Lulu had convinced this idiot to help her set her brother up and how it had cost him Georgie, she said "Then why don't you tell me why my men would have grabbed you."

Seeing his bewilderment, she then asked if he had gone tiptoeing through the records again, after she had warned him what would happen if he did anything against Zachara interests. "Spinelli, it isn't that hard of a question, have you done anything that I would disapprove of?"

"But no, mistress. My only foray onto the world wide web have been in the quest for finding someone for the goddess unhappily married. The fashionesta asked me to help her locate the lost love of her spouses life. The goddess overheard the parental unit speaking to another about this missing maternal one and was trying to locate her and her possible love child that might take attention away from her beloved children."

Claudia put it together, Luke had been speaking to someone about Elizabeth's son and Sam had been concerned. While the Spencers were cash poor they did own land, she knew that there were several offers on the downtown property that they owned plus there was the old bar that Luke had once owned and even that house that had once belonged to the mother was worth a nice sum.

Had Sam been looking to off the Spencers so that her child would inherit them? No, that made no sense, so what was the real reason that Sam McCall had been looking for

Elizabeth Webber and her son? Looking at the geek, with a little more sugar, she soon had answers to a few of her questions and it was not making her a happy camper.

Leaving the geek, she went outside and said "Wasn't there an open warrant on the geek from outside of Memphis?"

"That is what your brother said."

"Send Mr. Spinelli on a road trip, make sure he is handed over to the correct authorities." she said almost wishing for the old days when she could have ordered his death and it would have been done immediately. She had no doubts that he had done more than he had admitted and she was taking no chances with him. Two or three weeks from now, Damien Spinelli would get into a knife fight while in police custody and it would never be traced back to them.

Returning home after making a few phone calls to deal with Spinelli and Sam McCall, she wrote her brother a note, then went to bed herself, her mind on all the ways that she could torment Sonny Corinthos, ways that would ruin his life. Then smirked because having his wife, his ex lover and his sister with him and unable to return to Port Charles would do more to make his life a living hell than anything she could come up with short of killing him.

Cam meanwhile had fallen asleep early and had awoke early. Looking at his parents, he began to hope that maybe things would work out and they could remain here in this town and be a family. He liked having a cousin, he liked having family that would be close.

As he slipped off the bed, he heard the sound of a doorbell in the distance and deciding that meant someone was up, he hurried down the stairs hoping someone was in the kitchen. He had enjoyed breakfast the day before, cereal in Italy was nothing like it was here.

At the front door door, Lulu pushed her way in when she realized that it was only a maid who answered determined to speak to Johnny about the rumor she had heard that morning. That the Zachara family now owned the waterfront areas.

She was hoping that meant he was interested in getting back together, after all it wasn't her fault that Georgie Jones had seen them together, he should have made it clear to the know it all that he wasn't interested. That maybe just maybe he was now willing to partner up in running the Haunted Star with her like she had hoped.

"Where is Johnny?" she demanded of the butler as she walked towards the study. Seeing the young kid with the dark brown curly hair and wearing pajamas coming down the hall, she said "Who are you?"

"Cameron, who are you?" he asked not liking her attitude.

"Lulu Spencer, Johnny is my boyfriend, what are you doing in his house. Wait, I know you, you are that kid who slipped onto an airplane without paying. Why are you at Johnny's house?" she asked suspiciously.

Jason who had awoken to realize that Cam wasn't sleeping with Elizabeth had came down the main stair case and frowned as he realized that Lulu was inside. "Lulu."

When she turned, he said "Cam, go to the kitchen."

Looking at the blond as his son quickly obeyed him, he said "Why are you here?"

"Why are you here?" she retorted then her eyes widened as she said "Wait, so it is true, Johnny bought the docks from you! I guess this means he really does forgive me. That he is going to accept my plan."

With that she walked out the door, her mind full of all the ways that she was going to enjoy life as the girlfriend of the ex-mobster.

"Who was that?" asked the man in question as he saw Jason frowning at his door. "And why do you look so forbidding?"

"That was Lulu who thinks you forgave her because you bought the docks." he said then added quickly "She saw Cam."

"Oh shit, how did that happen?" asked Johnny as he pulled out his phone determined to find out how the hell she got past his security team and either fire or kill the guard who had to have let her in. "Give him the next dose. Morgan get Elizabeth to the hospital and end this today. I wouldn't trust Lulu with that news at all."

"I will but first I need to speak to Cam first." he said joining his son in the kitchen. Cam was sitting the table, looking at the cereal box in the middle until Jason shook his head no with an amused smile on his face then asked "Cam, what would you like for breakfast?"

Feeding him an omelet, and not wanting him to feel he had done anything wrong, Jason gently explained that the blond he had just met was not a good person and that they had to be quiet about his being there just for now.

"Okay." he said. Then with a guilty expression said "I told Michael, after all he is my cousin, that was okay wasn't it?"

Jason hid his fear, then when he had his son upstairs changing, pulled an awakening Elizabeth to the bathroom. "Cam told Michael everything and Michael is having breakfast with his mother this morning. Plus Lulu was just here."

"Okay god, my baby." she said fretting only for Jason to reassure her that Lulu hadn't upset him.

"We have to confront them, today, Elizabeth. It can't wait any longer." he said grimly not wanting to tell her that he had had a tingling in his neck, that he was missing someone in this mess, someone important as he went over his list.

Luke, Lucky, Tracy, Bobbie, Carly since she was in town, at some point a conversation with Emily. His mind kept insisting that something or someone had escaped his notice. Seeing her fear, he said "Luke mainly, Lucky is in trouble so it will only be me."

Nodding, her mind still reeling from the news the day before, she said "I did a lot of thinking last night, I need to speak to Steven but that can wait. I am done hiding from these people, I let them have too much control over me in my fear."

"Are you sure?" he asked worried blue eyes meeting determined sapphire blue eyes. The determination he saw in hers made him ask. "Who first?"

"Lucky, then Luke and the rest of the Spencers." she said. "Would you see if your parents can arrange for us to visit with those two without being seen."

"I will ask them." he said and went to call Alan who said that if they made it between nine and ten he would have the entire family busy. Hanging up, Jason hesitated then went to see Steven.

"How did she take it?" he asked only for Jason's eyes to tell the story. "I knew it wouldn't go well."

"It went as well as could be expected, Steven." he said then gave him the news. "Would you please take Cam with you today? The Spencer family will be at the hospital, meeting with my father, so it is safe to show Cam around town. I uh, have these for you."

Handing Steven the keys for the Hardy house, he went to see his son and Elizabeth. The two of them were speaking and Cam was promising to listen to what Steven said, no matter what. "And Cam, Mommy really needs for you to not tell anyone else about things until we tell you you can okay?"

Cam nodded solemnly then went to greet his uncle who looked at his sister and saw her turn away. With slumped shoulders, he let it go and drew Cam down to the garage with the news that Johnny had given him the keys to one of the trucks as two of Jason's guards followed behind.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked his hands landing on her hips as he moved in to shelter her in his arms.

"Yes, I couldn't speak to Steven, not know, I need this anger, this rage to deal with the Spencers, afterwords, I will speak to him." she said drawing strength from his nearness.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Carly entered the spa, confused as to why her husband seemed distant but seeing his ever efficient new assistant, she was once again asked if she needed anything and once again simply gave her some orders.

Ignoring the call from her mother regarding Luke, she went to soak in the water with the tea leaves as they placed fresh cucumber slices on her eye lids and turned her phone off. She had some thinking to do and this was one of the best places for her to do so.

Her mind on Lorenzo, she decided to just be extra attentive and place whatever blame there was for whatever he was angry about on her being nervous about Michael, as she began to think about Jason.

She wasn't sure what to think, after all no one had even mentioned Elizabeth being in town, plus she was sure that the annoying woman had to have gotten married by now. Maybe she didn't have anything to worry about, besides, she would just tell Jason that it had slipped her mind about telling Elizabeth he was dead, or she could just blame it on Sonny.

After all, she didn't owe him a damn thing, he had done nothing, nothing at all to let her see their son, he in fact had managed to keep Morgan away, plus he could have done more to help her at least retain Michael, but he hadn't.

Which brought her back to Lorenzo and his not so subtle remarks about wanting children. Carly didn't want to have anymore children. She knew that what he was really saying was that he wanted a son and frankly if Carly had a child, she wanted a daughter. She had always, always wanted a little girl to raise, but it had never worked out.

Morgan, Michael, the baby she had miscarried, plus what Carly refused to think about. Her biggest mistake, her first mistake. One that could never ever come back to her, she knew if it ever did, her house of cards would collapse very quickly and that not even Jason would stand by her this time.

Deliberately pushing that out of her mind, she heard the delicate sound of the buzzer and let herself be helped out of the small pool and went to shower, before waiting in the small soundproof room for her masseuse.

"Hello Carly." drawled Claudia who watched in amusement as Carly came up off the table in fright. "I heard that you were in town."

"What do you want Claudia?" she snapped as she took in the female mobster who had the ability to make her feel so small. Since learning of her connections to Sonny's past, to Brenda Barrett of all people, it had only gotten worse.

When she had heard how Sonny while married to her had shown up at Brenda's latest wedding to Jax, she had left him to teach him a lesson only to lose him permanently. She had moved on, was satisfied with what she, but to this day she could still hear this woman giving her news and enjoying it.

"Oh, that is such a loaded question." she answered while folding her arms and leaning against the wall. Brenda had warned her about Carly, having recalled her history once she had gotten her memory back, but it wouldn't have mattered.

Claudia still blamed Sonny for his treatment of Brenda, of Lila a woman she had never met, but one that she felt empathy for as the result of being in similar circumstances. Both mob daughters with crazy fathers who tried to sell them for his own power crazed reasons.

"Stay away from my husband." Carly ordered as she sat up with the towel wrapped around herself. "He loves me, he is loyal to me."

"Carly that is so two years ago, besides, I have a new man in my life. Strangely enough, he likes you even less than he does your ex husband. Interesting that." she said with a smug grin. "Anyhow, I just thought I would stop in and let you know, I will be watching you and waiting."

"Waiting?" she asked suspiciously. "Waiting for what?"

"Your downfall, from what I hear it is imminent." Claudia said with a smirk. "Anyhow, I was thinking, I might go introduce myself to Tony Jones, I heard he was thinking of getting back together with your mom. You know, I tend to sleep around a bit, but someday you have to tell me all about that, that is one, that no matter how desperate I have been, I have never done. So sleeping with your stepdaddy, wow, Carly."

"That is old news." Carly said relaxing as she laid back down determined not to let Claudia bother her.

"But Carly, you know the term what goes around, comes around. I can't wait until you are paid for your crimes in turn." she said with a slight chuckle as she left the room. Carly just shook the words off, convinced that Claudia was running out of ways to bother her and making things up.

Meanwhile upstairs, Lorenzo saw his assistant entering the room carrying packages that she said were for his wife. "Did you at least get breakfast this morning?"

"A sandwich from the drive thru window." Lisa replied then sat down with the gentleman who made sure that she was taken care of all the while trying to figure out what to do with his wife.

Lulu was trying to talk to her aunt while other family members entered the room. As they were told that Lucky was now detoxing, Bobbie asked in shock "From what?"

"Drinking, he seems to have inherited Luke's worst tendencies." said Tony to his ex-wife. A call from a reporter asking questions about the Spencers had had him realizing that his wanting to get back with Bobbie had been more for Lucas than his own interests so he was slowly backing off, not intending to go there again. "Its masking how sick he really is."

"This is all the result of what Helena did to him." said Lulu to her aunt. Bobbie agreed, then said "If only Elizabeth had come back . I am certain that was all that he would have needed to pull himself out of this mess."

Alan looked at his sister who was sitting near her son who was agreeing with his annoying stepsister and the girls' aunt. "Is Carly coming, Bobbie? What about Sam?"

"Sam had to go deal with Sonny." said Alexis entering the room. "She along with Courtney are on the island even as we speak. Nik is in Greece and I spoke to Laura's doctor, this hasn't been one of her better days. So this is it."

"Wait, where is Emily?" asked Lulu as she looked around surprised to see her brother's best friend wasn't there.

"Home sick." was all Alan said then gave them the news. "We are expecting to lose Luke at some point today. The CDC even gave permission to try the experiential drugs that they have been testing. No change, I am sorry for your sake Bobbie."

"I don't understand, I just don't." said the red head as she looked at the others in the room. "How did Luke catch this and how did it get this serious without anyone noticing?"

"Alan, is there nothing you can do?" asked Tracy as she mentally raced to figure out where he else he could have hidden the proof of her lies. She was not going to lose her company, not to anyone. After all she had earned it just like daddy did. He was finally proud of her, he had said so himself after the most recent earnings report.

"No, they have exhausted all hope. Robin has been working with his doctors, she is still in the lab, but we have run out of ideas." he said wanting to add good riddance, but keeping his personal feelings to himself as he drew this out by explaining in minute detail all that had been said. "As for Lucky..."

When they were silence again, he said "He needs to detox from the liquor before we move forward. I had to fire a security guard last night, the man passed Lucky a twelve pack through the safety doors because he felt sorry for him."

Tony Jones quickly went through it for Tracy how the alcohol affected things, meanwhile Lulu was determined to save at least one of her family members. "But Lucky isn't as sick as dad is, right. I am sure he will live."

"Lulu, you don't get it. He might be worse, we don't know, not with his needing to detox." said Alan as he looked at the clock, then grimacing as his son has asked for fifteen more minutes. "There is one small hope, if you can get Sam back here and she is willing."

"I am sure she will come, Lucky and she are very happy." said Bobbie while Alexis wondered if the red head had always been blind. Lucky and Sam were a convenience for each other nothing more or less.

"What do you need her for?" asked Lulu who didn't like her sister-in-law.

"The baby's stem cells, if she agreed to be induced. The baby is viable at this point." Alan said. "I don't like to suggest it, because it really is unethical to be inducing for something like this."

"But it might save my brother, right?" she asked hopefully and grabbing her phone began to dial Sam. Getting her sister in law on the phone, she explained what the doctor said only for Sam to say no. "How dare you, do you realize if you don't do this, my brother will die?"

Hearing dial tone, she glared at everyone and then looked at her phone. Making a call, she was annoyed when it went straight to voice mail. "Johnny, I need you to fly to Sonny's island and kidnap Sam to save my brother."

Hanging up, she looked at her aunt and said "I know that Johnny will help me, he loves me after all."

Johnny was watching the young woman studying as he felt his pocket vibrate, seeing the name on the caller ID when he pulled it out, he just cursed and considered how to make her pay not for the mess with Morgan's son, she had been too young at that point, both Jason and Elizabeth had agreed.

No, he wanted to make her pay for what she had done to the young woman in the small room who no longer smiled at him when he walked by. A young woman who had walked away to protect her family in spite of what it had cost them then had been betrayed by a member of that family in the end.

Leaving, he never saw the young woman look towards where the shadow had once been, then wipe away her tears then go back to studying. She had an exam to take and that was where she should be concentrating on.

Elizabeth and Jason entered the hospital through the side door and took the elevator to the upper floors. Jason had taken a call from his father, who had told him that he would keep the Spencer family busy. "Who do you want to talk to first?"

"Lucky." she said grimly as she approached the hub. "Dr. Quartermaine has given me permission to speak through the glass to Mr. Spencer."

The young nurse looked at them then typed something into the computer. Then noticed that there were two Mr. Spencers, "Which Mr. Spencer do you want to speak to."

"Lucky first, please." Elizabeth said her hands shaking as she put them into her pocket; then looking at the nurse asked how the patient was doing.

"I can't release that information." she said with an apologetic expression on her face. "He is down the hall, the second room to the right, you just enter then you can push the Intercom button to speak to him."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said as Jason and she walked away meanwhile the nurse let her boss know she was heading out for the day. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looked at Jason then said "Give me five minutes?"

"Are you sure?" he asked a concerned expression on his face as he watched her gather her strength.

"Yes, first up, I am going to tell him that it was you and that it has always been you since 1999." she said with a wistful expression on her face as she looked at him. Pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth, she said "Give me the strength."

Jason hugged her tight then stepped back as she pressed the button to open the sealed door and entered the room. He called Stan. "Are you watching?"

"Yes." said the man from the computer room as he watched Lucky Spencer stagger to his feet as he looked at who had come into visit him.

"E-lizabeth, I knew, I knew you would..." Lucky was stunned, Elizabeth Webber was standing in front of him. Now he just had to use this stupid illness, then he would have her back where he wanted her.

"Shut up." she snapped not wanting to listen to a single word out of his mouth. When he began to speak, she said "The man, the one I was in love with, it was Jason, Jason Morgan."

Scoffing, he sneered at her. "Well I guess that you learned the truth about his love, didn't you. He didn't want you anymore than I did."

"Oh Lucky, if only you knew. Jason and I do love each other. I am not here to argue with you." she said as she took in the sheen of perspiration that covered him, the green tinge to his skin and how his eyes were barely focused and found herself grateful for the door between them.

"Then why are you here?" he asked. "Want another taste of me."

"No, see, I was told you were dying. I came to watch." she said her eyes meeting his. "But first, I have some news for you. I left Port Charles, regained my health after you beat me and I began to draw again. I sell my art work all over the world, Lucky. I am self supporting as an artist. How did your choice of careers go?"

Lucky began to answer, but Elizabeth silenced him and said "Photographer, no go, computer geek, no go. Musician, no go. Your only choice has been to live off your wife and sporadic work on the Haunted Star when your loser of a father managed to convince some fool to open it."

"My wife, at least I have a spouse, someone who loves me. A daughter and another kid on the way." he said with a smirk certain he had at least killed her brat. "You, who do you have?"

"Jason for one." she simply said then with a cold grin as Jason entered she added "And my ten year old son, Cameron. Jason and I, our son is a happy healthy ten year old. You are no one, nothing. Lucky when you die, I will be here, watching, waiting because you deserve nothing but my contempt."

Lucky looked at Jason Morgan, saw the way the man was standing, saw his eyes and laughed. "Did she tell you that I got to finally have her. I took her, hurt her like she deserved. Lying on the floor, begging for mercy."

"You are a liar, Spencer." he said with no heat. "I know the truth, but you will pay and pay dearly for what you really did to, you don't need to lie to me, you are still going to die very painfully. Twenty minutes Lucky. Not many men know the time of their death, you are just lucky enough to be one of them. So stay here, watching that clock on the wall and know that as it strikes ten am you will be dead."

Lucky began to shout at the two of them, dark and horrifying words but they couldn't hear it as Stan had turned off the Intercom, then disconnected any way that the man had to call for help.

Elizabeth was in the hallway, her knees shaking as she held Jason tightly. "That bastard, he killed our daughter, I wanted to hurt him, wanted to destroy him. But I couldn't, I couldn't confront him without telling him that he succeeded. That he managed to kill our innocent little girl."

Jason held her, then asked "Are you sure you want to face Luke, why not let me do it, by myself. Please, Elizabeth."

"No, Jason. I appreciate that you want to help me, but facing Luke, it is just as important for me to face him as it was to face Lucky. I need to let at least one of them know what he took from me. What he took from Cam, from you and from me." she said her eyes steady as she looked at him.

Gathering her courage, she walked down the hall and pressed the button to enter the room two doors down. Seeing the older nurse who Jason had asked to help them writing down stats, she asked "How much longer does he have?"

Looking at the young woman and then at Jason Morgan behind her, Epiphany gave a half smile and said "Hours if he is lucky."

"He is Luke Spencer, he will get what he deserves." she said as calm as possible. When the woman had left, Elizabeth pressed the intercom button then said "Luke, can you hear me, its Elizabeth Webber."

They saw the machines monitoring his heart speed up the beeps and Elizabeth coolly said. "The machines say that the answer to that question is yes. I thought I would stop in to see you, to see you finally get what you deserve. A death, one where you are alone and left with nothing but your miserable misbegotten thoughts."

Luke's head turned towards the window, his eyes were blurry but he blinked and straining a bit, he saw a man standing beside her. A man with a distinctive shape. "M-org-an?"

"Yes Luke, its Jason with me. He knows the truth, he knows what your son did to me." she said her voice calm in spite of her trembling hands and knees. "Luke, you covered it up, what, did you think that it would all just go away? Like your rape of Laura, like your covering up of all of your crimes over the years?"

"N-no, you are wrong. Lucky loved you. He wanted a life with you." Luke said his voice fading in and out. "He was under her control, I swear, Elizabeth. I know that deep down, you know the truth."

"I do know the truth, I know that if Helena hadn't had a need for Lucky, he would be a rapist, I know that he was a murderer. Luke, I know about your helping Tracy. I know that you know of my child. Of Jason and my child." she stated.

"Child, you had a child with Jason?" he asked and his surprise had Elizabeth and Jason looking at one another and frowned as they realized that he had been blackmailing Tracy with something else, not their son. "How could you, Elizabeth? How could you betray my son?"

Luke, why did you help Tracy fake Alan's will?" asked Jason.

Luke didn't want to talk about Tracy, he wanted to make things right for his son, that meant Elizabeth had to choose Lucky. "Luke, we are waiting."

"It was strictly for the money. She screwed up, wrong labels on meds a few years ago. It was what killed some patients" he answered as he began to cough. When he had regained control, Elizabeth looked at Jason then at Luke.

"Luke, do you know why Lucky attacked me? Do you have the faintest idea?" she asked wanting to hear the lies once more, needing to hear them so that she could end this without guilt.

"He was brainwashed by Helena." he said as he tried to plead his son's case with her.

"No, he attacked me because I was pregnant Luke, he knew that it wasn't his. We have never slept together." She confessed and watched as in spite of the horrific pain he had to be suffering Luke was still predictable and all about how his family was betrayed.

"You, you dared to cheat on Lucky? How could you Elizabeth, after all we have done for you." he said as he began to cough again.

"You did for me?" She asked scoffing at the revisionist history.

"Seriously Luke, you have done nothing for me. Lucky did nothing for me. I dealt with my rape and yes, Lucky was there but he was why I was in that park in the first place. I am a parent Luke, I have a son. I should have two children. My daughter died when your son beat me so badly that I lost her."

"You ow-"

"Luke I owed you and your family nothing. My child lost her life because your family refused to admit that your son was in need of mental health help. You and your family cost me my daughter. I have to ask, do you really think that the life of your son was worth more than the life of my daughter?"

Luke's eyes closed, he wasn't sure what was going on, how could Elizabeth betray Lucky this way, how could she have a child with Jason Morgan of all people. He hated, truly hated that the Cassadine spawn was correct about anything.

"Luke, I came to see you because I needed you to have no illusions, no hope for your family. Luke, Lucky is dying, he will be dying today. You, you are paying for your crimes. It is going to be long and painful, Luke. You will lose your ability to speak soon, no one but no one will ever know the truth." Jason said.

Elizabeth looked across the room, saw the moment that Luke's eyes met hers and said "You are nothing more than a rapist who got lucky all those years ago. Your family, they are little more than trash and some day soon, your name will fade into obscurity."

Luke tried to speak again and gained enough strength to say to something, anything but he could only stare at the twosome who were looking at him with disgust. He felt a sharp pain, then what felt like he was drowning. He looked up in time to see the enforcer and his son's only love walking out the door, without a second look.

In the hallway, Elizabeth felt Jason's arms go around her then lead her off to the Chapel. As they sat there in the quiet serene room, she regained her equilibrium and said "Its over. Live or die for the Spencers, I refuse to be scared anymore."

Hearing the sound of medical staff rushing past, Jason looked at the clock and said "Lucky is gone, Luke will go away soon. Do you want to stay, confront them or go?"

"Let's stay in here, for now." she said resting her head on his shoulder. "What do you think that Cameron and Steven are up to?"

Those two were in fact laughing as they walked along the docks with the guards following at a distance. A morning spent visiting the few local sites, they were now down watching the boats as Steven asked the guards which belonged to Jason.

"We have none in port right now, sir." replied the guard who then said "All that is left in town is the coffee warehouse and its shipments usually enter at the beginning of the week."

Cam saw the sign for the diner, then looking at his uncle asked if it was someplace they could get something to eat. Agreeing with the condition that he look inside first, the two headed over to the large windows in time to see a tall blond woman running out of the diner and rushing off past them.

Steven had the guards look around then when they gave permission, Cam and he entered the small diner and ordered some lunch. Hearing laughter they saw AJ with Michael and were soon joined by the two of them. "I thought you had to visit with your Mom today?"

"She showed up and was angry at dad, so she left." he said with a shrug then asked Cam what he had seen so far. The teenager and the young boy were soon talking skate parks and bikes as Steven was filled in by AJ.

"So, she heard a rumor and went to the hospital?" he asked surprised.

"It won't make a difference. Carly's husband doesn't let her get away with the crap that Sonny did. Lorenzo will haul her butt back to his place and leave her there if she gets out of control." AJ said. "I uh, spoke to him earlier, she has been dogging his new assistant and he is already unhappy with her. And add to that that Michael made it clear he was only here on orders from the judge and Carly left here very annoyed."

"I just hope that she is away from Elizabeth." he said. "I think that your brother is not in the mood to be even the least bit kind."

Looking across at his son, AJ said "The last time he was in anything close to this, Carly lost Michael and Sonny went to the Island well aware that a return wasn't going to happen."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

For those that want the GeJo back story, its in this chapter which is timely because next chapter the remaining trouble makers get theirs. Well most of them, one doesn't get it all until the epilogue.

Chapter Nine

Sonny hung up the phone after thanking Bobbie for the information then heard another line ringing. Answering it, he debated then decided to let the mother of his daughter decide her own fate.

On the patio, he quietly whispered the news to his wife who told him that if she stayed it wasn't going to be in their house and she would prefer if it wasn't on their end of the island. "We can just use this to keep Danielle with us."

Nodding, he went to the beach where he found Sam and Courtney hanging out flirting with a couple of the men who walking the beach. "We need to speak."

The two men recognized the island big cheese and quickly left as Sonny took in Sam in her too small bikini and Courtney in a similar one and shook his head in annoyance. "Sam, not that I think you care, but Bobbie just called me. Lucky died today. She needs you to decide what to do regarding the services for him."

"Can't she handle it, she is his aunt." she asked with a sigh. "After all Lucky and I are done."

"I will let her know you are relinquishing all rights." he said then added "We have another item to talk about. Do you know the name Bill Monroe. His daughter is claiming you killed her father and stole his money. She turned up at the Port Charles police department with a FBI agent and a large file. They would like you to return."

"Wait, Sam, you shouldn't do that. Isn't there like no extortion or something from here?" asked Courtney proudly. "So they can't arrest you."

"Extradition and not completely." Sonny said with a slight frown at his sister. "Either way, I will support you, it would be better for this to be dealt with while I still have some influence. If you want to stay I can purchase a house for Danielle and you, maybe you would like to stay with her, Courtney?"

Sam didn't like that idea, and surprisingly enough Courtney realized that Sam was her competition for any local men. "Sam, don't you need to be close to a hospital, after all it was so difficult for you to give birth to your little girl."

Sam looked at Sonny then thought about it. "Sonny if I go back, do you think you can make the charges against me go away?"

As she played right into his hands, Sonny said "Yes, however the moment you arrive they could take custody of Danielle. The better choice would be to stay here."

"But surely between Jason and you, it can be dealt with." she said her mind on finally having complete freedom. If it worked out, she and her daughter could disappear and she could be sure to have a 'miscarriage' while in federal custody which would get her freed at the very least and maybe a new name and money if she offered up her ex.

Sonny made the call and was annoyed to reach Jason's voice mail, then called Stan who winked at Cody and Jason's new attorney and lied that Jason was now dealing with an even bigger mess. "Sonny, the police searched the Haunted Star since the CDC asked them to. Uh, they found papers, connecting you to a lot of Luke's dirty deeds. You can't come home."

Muttering, Sonny hung up and walked away from the two women and made several calls. Being given the same line by several others and even hung up on, he knew that somehow Luke had fucked him over.

Calling Stan back, he said "What exactly is Jason doing?"

Lying the hacker said "He is trying to get to Luke. With Lucky's death however that has proven impossible. So that you know, it looks like Luke approached Carly in Sardinia where she was with Lorenzo for the money to get home. She said no, then he slipped on board a ship from China. Its how he caught the bird flu that has left us exposed. Jason is pissed with her."

Hanging up cussing, Sonny called Alexis who confirmed that they found the information on Luke. Hanging up, she looked at Claudia Zachara and said "Are you sure he can't return ever again?"

"Your daughter is safe from his interference. Thank you for working with us." she said as she gracefully stood then looked at the attorney. "I don't get it, you seem like a smart woman, why would you ever work with Luke Spencer?"

"Pride." she admitted. "At the time, I thought I was too smart to get caught and thought that Luke was the same."

"Well obviously you were wrong, you weren't too smart. The moment you paired up with Spencer it proved your lack of brains." she said as she left the small office in the hospital.

Now Sonny wouldn't trust Carly and the man had no way to come home nor to send either of the bimbos back. Slowly but surely the Corinthos part was going to pay for what they did, but it would be long, slow and very painful just like Morgan wanted it.

As she left the hospital, she heard what the CDC doctor was explaining to the family regarding the late unlamented Lucky Spencer's last moments.

"His bowels released, it would have felt like the pain of a thousand knives were being shoved under his fingernails, into his brain and stomach. He was drowning from the fluid in his lungs and then there would have been a heart attack. It would have felt like his whole body was being torn to pieces." he said being as honest as possible like had been requested by the hospital chief of staff.

Bobbie felt ill as she heard the words. She had been in to see her nephew last, had left him alone. She felt regret that she could do nothing more for him as she asked when she could take his body for burial.

"I am sorry, Mrs Jones. I thought you were told. When he agreed to sign the paperwork and then you signed stating that you agreed to that experimental treatment, you agreed to donate his body to us. Now if you change your mind, the only other option is to cremate him because he is a public health risk."

There was the usual wailing and complaining but Bobbie finally settled Lulu down, then looked at where her brother was even now dying and asked "Does this help Luke in any way?"

"No, your brother's case has only grown worse. He has now lost complete control over his senses and we expect him to be declared brain dead in hours." said the doctor to the man's sister while his wife stood nearby clearly out of it.

Bobbie thought back to the new message from Sonny then looked at Tracy. "I have to call Nik then Lulu and I will go tell Laura."

Nodding, not saying a word, Tracy quickly ducked into a stairwell and made her call. "What do you mean that the FBI, the ATF, the IRS and the CDC have tore Luke's boat apart?"

"I am sorry Mrs. Spencer but they had a warrant." said her assistant who then gave her the rest of the news. "Uh, ma'am, they also went to your family home. I spoke to your maid, Alice. She said they searched the common areas of the mansion and your rooms. An agent made it clear that you are to call them immediately."

Sweating as she called her attorney, she wasn't at all surprised for Scott Baldwin to tell her that he had set up an appointment for her with the agent in charge. "Tracy, you are going to have to tell me what is going on, otherwise, I can't help you."

"Just meet me there." she said determined to just bluff her way through, deciding that she would act like it was all Luke's doing if any of her past little white lies came to light.

Elizabeth and Jason soon joined Cam and Steven at the Hardy house as Cam asked if that was where they were going to live when they moved in together as a family. Jason looked at Cam then at Elizabeth who was clearly uneasy in the house and suggested that they look for a new house, one that they would all move in together.

"Johnny, Claudia and Uncle Steven too?" he asked.

Shuddering at the idea of what Claudia would want to teach his son, Jason said "No, Johnny and Claudia would stay at their house."

"Okay." he said then a moment later asked if Michael could come to visit. "He promised to teach me how to do a cannon ball off the docks at where he lives."

"Yes, Michael may visit but only after we find a place." warned Jason who knew that Carly was already in town. For how, he was going to slow down the budding friendship because while Michael wasn't close to his mom, he could accidentally spill something in anger with the woman.

Elizabeth and Jason were speaking with Cam while Steven wandered the house, returning to the great room, he looked at his sister and Jason then with a mischievous grin asked Cam where he intended to chose to visit for Christmas this year.

With a sideways glance at his uncle, he said "I wanted to spend it right here with Mom and Dad."

"We can do that." said Jason his voice hoarse at the idea of spending the holidays with his son and Elizabeth. "Do you know that your Mom has a birthday coming up. Where do you think we should take her to celebrate?"

Cam thought about it then looking at his parents asked after holding his breath. "Maybe we can go back to Italy and pack up everything to move here? Please?"

Elizabeth looked at Jason and then said "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. There are several things that need to come home. Cam, would you please let your dad drive you back to Crimson Pointe, I need to speak to your uncle, okay?"

"Okay." he said excitedly as he looked at the clock. The really cool older woman had promised to play another round of Frog Jumpers with him and the winner got to chose what type of sundaes they had for dessert. He was king of the Frog Jumpers and he really wanted a brownie sundae like Mommy made.

Shaking her head at her son's tugging of his father's arm, she looked at Steven then when Cam had left with Jason said. "Part of me is so hurt that you didn't tell me. Another part is angry but mainly, oh god, mainly I am so glad that if I couldn't do it, that you took care of my little girl."

As his sister burst into tears as she held tightly onto him, Steven could only rub her back and whisper he was so sorry. That he had hated lying to her all this time. Eventually the sobs gave way to the hiccups and he still held her tightly.

Finally backing up, Elizabeth asked him to tell her about her little girl. What she had looked like, what she had smelt like and what she was buried in and where.

"She was beautiful, she looked so small, Elizabeth. She hadn't grown much. She-she fit in my hand." he said his voice cracking. "There are photos, I have them in a safety deposit box in Rome. The nurse washed her and Audrey was too small for the baby clothes but I found a christening gown, it was ivory and with just a bit of lace since she was your little girl and you have always hated lace."

Her head was now buried in her hands as his words filtered past her pain. "I uh, there was this little stuffed toy dog in the gift shop. I put it in with her so she would never be..."

At that point, Steven was crying himself as he recalled his pain at what had happened and how he had taken it all onto himself. How he had felt so bad about what he was keeping from his sister. Wiping the tears away, he said I went to the funeral home, and tried to decide what you would want.

"I found this very pale pink lining in a c-co..." Moving on Steven said "There was a marble stone, with the simple words in Italian that translated to that she was loved. It listed her name and the date she came into this world. Daughter of Elizabeth and Jason."

As the siblings held onto one another, Elizabeth whispered thank you and then asked about the flowers she had been told about from Jason. "Please tell me that they were never roses."

"I specifically requested that roses were never used." he vowed. "When I stopped there in September it was yellow daffodils. I wanted happy flowers, Elizabeth."

"I want to bring her here. If I can." she admitted. "The Spencer family stole too much from me, but I want her to know that she is loved."

At Shadybrook, Bobbie was drained from having had to tell Laura the news about her son. The blond woman had sat there as still as ever but Bobbie had been shocked to see a tear trailing down her cheek. Hugging her old rival, she swore to take care of Lulu, never seeing the blond's eyes blink as she seemingly stared off into space.

Finding Lulu in the hallways she asked her why she had left her Mom. "I thought I saw Emily here."

"Emily?" asked a surprised Bobbie. "Maybe she is working on her psych rotation."

"That can't be it, her dad said she was home sick." Lulu stated as they walked to the car and never saw the nurse going to give the blond her evening meds.

Emily who had ducked into her room when she had seen Bobbie Jones and Lulu was stunned at the news. Luke Spencer had come to town with the bird flu and Lucky had ignored orders to avoid his father and had died from an infection.

Relieved, she called Dr. Collins who said that Nik had moved away and asked if she wanted to go home since there were no more Spencers who were a threat to Elizabeth and her son. "No, this way I can get the help I need."

Hanging up, she turned the phone over to the nurse who locked it back up in the drawer and smiled at the young woman. "Is there anything else you need, Ms. Quartermaine?"

"No, that is fine. Except... is Laura Spencer okay?" she asked. She had always felt like there was a disconnect between the woman and her eldest son. However she knew that Laura would do anything for Lucky.

"She seemed to take the news of her son's death hard." said the woman. With a sigh, she admitted. "We were hopeful recently when Dr. Scorpio began her protocol but so far there has been no change."

"Oh, I forgot that Robin was treating her. Does she stop by often?" asked Emily worried about Robin finding out she was a patient.

"No, she stopped coming without warning after an argument with Robin's primary doctor. She felt like the man wasn't treating Ms. Spencer correctly because she isn't in a lock down wing."

When she saw Emily's confusion, the nurse said "We have had a few incidents with Ms. Spencer just getting up and walking out of the hospital. One time we found her all the way in Port Charles, down by the docks. We figured she was trying to get to her son, Nikolas as he lives nearby."

"I wonder if anyone ever told Nik?" she asked.

"I believe that when she made this last trip Dr. Denison did, after all they were concerned about where she got the gun." the nurse said. "Anyhow, that was when her son brought in this Dr. Scorpio, hoping that it meant his mother was getting better. Alas so far that hasn't proven to be the case."

Curious as to where Laura had gotten the gun and why she would take it to visit Nik, Emily went back to her room, her mind trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Stopping by to see Laura when she couldn't sleep, Emily sat down next to the blond woman and said she was sorry for her sake about Lucky.

"She will pay for what she did to my boy." said the blond standing and reaching for Emily's arms. Grasping it tightly as she muttered those words, she looked at Emily and said "Why couldn't it have been you?"

Emily stood, shocked at the words but before she could get help Laura was back staring into space, her eyes blurry as if nothing had ever happened. Rushing out, she told the nurse and the nurse went to call Dr. Dension who said that he was sure that it was only the other patients delusional mind playing tricks on her.

The nurse wasn't sure and she brought Emily her phone who quickly called her parents and gave them the news. "What do you think that means?"

"I don't know, do you think she is after Helena and I don't get it, why would she want me to be dead? I mean, yes, Lucky was her son, but still why want me dead?"

Hanging up, Emily went back to her room, stared at the ceiling as she tried to add these newest pieces to the puzzle.

Jason waited until Cameron was asleep and then reminded Elizabeth that they needed to have a meeting downstairs. In the study, Claudia was listening to Steven's explanation about Carly's throw away daughter and her plans for Lorenzo. "Steven, are you sure that she is doing the right thing."

Turning to his sister he asked what she meant. "Its just, well what if that is why Carly is the way she is because someone didn't stop her from going after Tony. Maybe if the truth had come out, she might have been a different person."

Jason saw the way that Johnny and Claudia were looking at one another then said "What do you know?"

"The father of Lisa, he was her best friend's father. She uh, went after him when her friend, the real Caroline figured out she slept with her boyfriend and outed her to her classmates. Carly went after her father, got him into bed and then publicly gave his daughter proof. She only agreed to let her daughter be placed up for adoption when he paid her a nice little sum in order to save his marriage."

"Why didn't he keep the little girl?" asked Jason.

"His wife, they stayed together. She refused to raise Carly's child so they placed Lisa up for adoption in Alabama. She had a good life, went to medical school. I know from talking to her, that she wasn't interested in finding her biological parents until a year before I met her. She decided she didn't want to meet them around that time, but when I told her about Carly, about her life, she talked about wanting to make Carly feel like she did others. It wasn't until just before I helped get Liz to safety that I learned she had come up here one weekend and had had a run in with Carly. Whatever happened, it is why she is so willing to do this."

Claudia could see that the soft hearted Elizabeth still worried about this young woman so she quickly turned the subject to Sonny and what was going on with him. "He won't be leaving the island at all. As for Sam, she will make her choice, my guess is that she ends up staying."

"We need to bring her here." Jason stated. Seeing their surprise, he said "Johnny told me about her plans with Spinelli. I have the feeling that it was more than what he knew. I just don't think it was prurient interest. There was more to her looking into Elizabeth."

With a sigh, Johnny said "We would be leaving that little girl with Corinthos."

"That will be fine, he will soon learn what being selfish can cost you." Jason said. Then he gave them the news about Jolene and Nik getting married. "Johnny you were right, within hours of the wedding, she called her sister. Nadine went to Greece to be the new nanny."

"So Nik will cease to be trouble. What about Courtney, she could fight for custody of her son." said Steven.

"No, see she will be stuck on the island. I have men watching, when Jolene kills Nik, she will protect her sister, my guess is that she talks Nik into a trip elsewhere or she gets him to send his son away with Nadine. That is when she will strike. Our people will get tape, make it seem like it was too far away to save the man. Nadine will end up with the kid and his money, Jolene will go to prison for his murder."

"What about poor Spencer, is this what is best for him?" asked Elizabeth.

"Yes, Nadine Crowell is a nice young woman, Elizabeth." said Johnny as he recalled how the blond had tried to warn him about Lulu and her games. How she had listened to him speak about his lost love and had always been his friend. "If anyone will protect Spencer, it is her."

"Okay as long as an innocent child isn't hurt." she said softly.

"We took care of the kids. Its why we had Sam sent to the island instead of arresting her here." said Claudia. "Olivia, Sonny's current wife will end up with Morgan and Danielle. Her son Dante is a cop in New York Elizabeth. He is a decent guy. She will be a good mom to them."

"Okay." she said then asked about Sam's pregnancy.

"I am not so sure she is pregnant. I saw her the week before you came to town, at the Grille having a glass of wine with her lunch." said Johnny.

"Steven, the CDC took Lucky's body away, did they say how much longer Luke has?" asked Elizabeth.

"He is dead, so all that is left is for Bobbie to decide to turn to the machines keeping him alive off. She was refused permission by St. Agnes to have the service there, it will be the same when she tries Sonny's church. I am edging her towards having it at the Haunted Star." said Jason.

"Why?" asked Claudia. "I mean why do we want to let them hold any kind of service?"

"Trust me, there is a reason." he said grimly then hearing his phone ringing looked at it and holding it up said "Its Sonny."

Stepping outside, he answered the call. "Morgan."

"What did you find out?" he was asking without so much as a greeting.

"Spencer fucked you over. He has your name on every single dirty deed he has done from 2000 to now. Including when Tracy apparently needing help changing my grandmother's will. It looks like you agreed to help in exchange for stock." he told his boss.

Corinthos felt his breath catch, he had heard rumors about Tracy changing things but had ignored them, he had had more important things on his mind. "What else?"

"No taxes were paid from when you sank your own personal funds into the Haunted Star, plus he brought in bootlegged liquor and cigarettes. Sonny its not the usual suspects he brought down on you, not this time. It is the IRS." The one agency he knew that Sonny feared.

Jason had had Stan create these false records then had made sure they were turned over to the agency. "Sonny, they filed paperwork to seize your only personal property left here and well they are also taking the barge, the club and the only reason the rest of the Spencer properties are safe is that they are in Laura's name."

Cussing, Sonny asked. "Can you deal with Sam's crap. I have to get her off the island, Olivia is refusing to let me sleep in our bed until she is gone. And Courtney is coming home. She wants to fight for custody of her son. She feels that Nik tricked her"

"She shouldn't, by the way Cassadine married the other woman in the tape with her. Thanks to getting married in Greece, she has no case for fighting the custody. Her best bet would be to appeal to this woman, after all they seemed close in that tape."

Sonny grimaced, his sister had made it clear her only issue with the whole thing had been that she would have preferred Jolene's sister to her. "Sonny, as for Sam, yeah, we can get her out from under this, but she would have to return and you know what that means for your daughter."

Hanging up without so much as a thank you, Sonny went to his office to brood, surely, surely he could find another way. Making a few calls, he then went to locate his sister. "I have former business partners, in Italy willing to help but you have to travel there."

"Fine, as long as it gets me back my son." she said as she went to the airport to fly to Sicily.

Sonny went back to the drawing board regarding Sam, then had an idea. Calling Max and Milo into his office he said "I want you to grab Sam and send her back to the states. She isn't going to want to go, but I want her there, by the time my wife wakes up tomorrow morning."

With a chuckle as he realized he didn't need Jason, that he could deal with this all on his his own. Sonny was happy he had cleared the decks as he began to plan his apology to his wife. Thinking on having his two youngest kids with him, he frowned wishing that Kristina and Dante were there too, Dante came for the holidays but his eldest daughter, she ignored him on a grand scale.

In Port Charles, Carly had spent the rest of her day trying to locate Jason, she had gone to his penthouse, to the warehouses and to Jake's. No one had claimed to see him and in desperation she had even tried the hospital and the Quartermaines.

Calling Lulu, after impatiently listening to her sobs about her father, she had asked the blond if she had seen Jason. "Yes, he was talking to John Zachara. He sold him the docks."

Carly knew where the Zachara family compound was, but when she drove out there, she was furious to be turned away without so much as a glimpse of either Johnny or his bitch of sister. No one would see her. Returning to Port Charles, she went to speak to her momma only to once again be caught up in the drama of Luke and Lucky's death.

After agreeing to show up at the Haunted Star in two days for the services, Carly quickly left and soon ran into Mike Corbin who said "Yes, I saw Jason a few hours ago, riding his bike towards the cliff roads."

Carly quickly drove out towards the lonely spot and was discouraged to realize that he wasn't there. Leaning against her car door, she once again tried his cell phone and was soon leaving a message for him.

Her only solace was that at least it didn't like Elizabeth Webber had came to Port Charles. Returning to the diner, ordering a coffee, she tried to wheedle out of Mike anything she could regarding Sonny.

Getting no where, she was about to leave when she heard what he said about her son. "Wait, what did you say?"

"Nothing." he said frowning.

"No, something about Michael and some kid." she probed. "What were you saying?"

"Just that when Michael was here earlier today, after you left he ate with some boy he introduced me to as his cousin, Cameron." he said with a shrug. "I just said that the little boy and he were talking all about Italy."

Carly froze, no, no, this wasn't happening. She HAD to be imagining this. Michael didn't have a cousin named Cameron, least of all one who lived in Italy. Calling over to the Quartermaine mansion, she spoke to AJ and gritting her teeth requested that her son meet her for breakfast in the morning.

"Carly he has school." his father snapped. "We will meet you at the Grille for dinner."

Her mind frantically trying to find information, Carly drove over to the Brownstone where she saw her mother in the kitchen on the phone. "Thanks, Sonny."

When she tried to take the phone, Bobbie held it in a tight grip then said "Carly, it was only his voice mail. I was leaving a message thanking him for handling Sam."

"Oh." she said deflated then asked around about her son and if her mother had spent much time with him. When she said no, Carly asked. "I heard he has a new cousin, what did Alan get caught cheating again?"

"Not that I have heard." she said then went back to her list of calls and ignoring her daughter as she frowned inwardly. Alan and Monica had both been rather distant, along with Tony who had invited Lucas to stay with him for a few days.

Carly walked off, only to see Maxie Jones and Lulu speaking in the front room. "So anyhow, like I told you, I have Johnny Zachara right where I want him. Jason told me himself that Johnny purchased the docks from him for me."

"You saw Jason, you never told me that." said Carly annoyed with the blond.

"It wasn't that big of a deal, he was at the Zachara house for a meeting with Johnny. I stopped over there this early morning and he was there. Oh, Maxie, that kid from the news, the one who got onto that jet in Rome, he was there too."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" asked Carly with a sinking feeling. "What kid, who are you talking about?"

"That boy from the news. Cameron Hardy." she said with a shrug.

"Cameron what?" she asked. "Who is this kid, how old is he what does he look like?"

Lulu reached into the newspaper recycling box, pulled out the newspapers until she found the one that was a few days old. Finding the article, she thrust it at her cousin and said "If you are so interested, here read this."

Carly sank onto the sofa and read the article. Cameron Hardy age ten, the physical description gave her a slight pause in her fear. No, he wasn't a blond, he couldn't be what she was thinking...

Then she saw the picture and breathed a sigh of relief. "He doesn't look like Jason at all."

"Duh." said Maxie as she and Lulu stopped speaking of the blond's plans for her future. "Why would he look like Jason. That is Elizabeth Webber's kid. Seriously Carly now you are believing your own lies. Remember, Jason didn't actually leave town with Elizabeth. I was the one who told you it was a short blond guy I didn't know."

"Wait, you saw Elizabeth leave town all those years ago?" asked Bobbie as she entered the room. She had needed a break from passing the bad news to her family members such as they were.

Rolling her eyes, Maxie said 'Yeah, she was at the hospital, faking it. You should have seen her, all whoa is me and crap. Good riddance. Lucky was better off without her."

Bobbie looked at the blond who was in possession of her daughter's heart and snapped "Do you realize that we could have tracked her down for Lucky if you had only told someone that. Carly, did you know it wasn't Jason. You told me that you..."

"Momma, I never told you that." she stated. "I just didn't disagree when you asked if I thought he would take her out of town. Like Maxie said, good riddance."

The older woman looked at the two selfish blonds then said "Thanks to you two, Lucky died without ever making peace with the woman he loved. How can you live with yourself."

"Easily, besides, she was no good for Lucky." said Maxie while Carly thought about the file she had, that she still had and decided to go and get rid of it. If Jason ever got his hands on that, he would believe Elizabeth's lies about how that had happened and he might blame her. "Don't you see, Aunt Bobbie, Lucky never really loved Elizabeth. He couldn't have."

"Maxie, it is time for you to leave." she said then looking at the girl said "I would appreciate it if you stayed away from the services. Hopefully Elizabeth has heard about Lucky and will turn up to mourn with us. Maybe I can talk to her, explain that he didn't mean to hit her."

"You can try." scoffed the blond as she looked at Lulu. "Let me know what happens."

Leaving Maxie was almost to her car when Carly caught up to her. "Maxie, are you still in contact with that guard of Jason's you used to date or that geek?"

"Spinelli, no, he is into Saint Sam, I am the devil as far as he is concerned. As for Coop, he caught Lucky and I having sex at Kelly's, he won't help me." she replied.

Carly didn't like this, didn't like this news at all. She was beginning to feel like Jason was staying away from her deliberately and when she had tried to reach Sonny, had only gotten his voice mail.

With an idea, she quickly drove down the street heading towards Maple Drive. Passing the house that she knew belonged to the Hardy family, she was annoyed to realize it was empty. Then with a heavy heart she went to the Quartermaine mansion, sat at the end of the driveway, certain that that bitch had managed to ingratiate herself into the heart of the very family she wanted to keep her away from.

Jason spent the next making phone calls in between looking at homes with his new family. Cam wanted something near a park, but had been satisfied with the idea of his own playground while Elizabeth wanted something in the country while all he wanted was a house where he could keep his family safe.

Finally finding one that they all liked, he thanked Diane for her help and then moved on to their next issue. He had had an idea, one that had been a bit of a surprise to Elizabeth but she had eventually agreed and now they just had to speak to Cam about it.

Making one more call, being given the news that Sam McCall was in police custody, he thanked Mac and went back to explaining what they had planned to Cam. His eyes went wide as he looked at his parents. "Anywhere?"

"Anyplace you want. For Halloween, Thanksgiving and New Years since I promised we would spend Christmas here as a family." Jason offered. His son looked at him then at his mom and mumbled something with a slightly embarrassed laugh.

"Cam, where was that?" asked Elizabeth almost certain she had heard him wrong, he hadn't like the European version, but maybe she had taken him at too young of an age.

"Magic Kingdom." he said looking at his mom with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "For Halloween. And uh, lets see, um, where did they first have Thanksgiving?"

"Plymouth Massachusetts." said Elizabeth with a chuckle when he said he wanted to visit the Pilgrims and then really did laugh when he wanted to celebrate the new Year wherever it happened first. Settling for Australia, he then asked his parents if that meant they were safe now.

"Almost Cam, almost." Jason cautioned as he led them to his SUV. Once driving back to the Zachara house, he watched as Cam's eyes followed the sunlight through the trees just like his mother. Arriving at the compound, he saw Johnny looking grim as he stood in the doorway and sent his family inside. "What is it?"

"Carly Corinthos Alcazar, she has been hearing rumors and is slowly finding out the truth regarding your son. She has shown up here twice." he stated. "I spoke to her husband, he had agreed to stay in town until after the services tomorrow, so we only have about thirty six hours to get through."

"We should deal with her, immediately." said Claudia as she entered the room. Seeing Morgan's expression, she said "Is that permission?"

"Yes, but I want her to leave with Lorenzo." he stated.

Claudia agreed, then said "I have something that will put him on our side."

Using it, she called the other man, then looked at her brother and said "Lulu Spencer needs a smack down administered now that we can finally do so without repercussions. . Would you care to do the honors?"

"I already sent the paperwork informing her that the Haunted Star has to be moved in thirty days or I will claim it as salvage." he replied coolly as he walked back inside with Morgan. The rest of his revenge would happen the very next day, at the funeral, he would make damn sure that Lulu was finally proven to be the liar she was.

Across town at the Brownstone, Bobbie was a wreck, her son was going back to school immediately after the services the next day, her daughter was ranting and raving about some kid not being Jason's. And then there was Lulu, who was sitting on the sofa, looking at the paperwork in her hands like she couldn't read. "Lulu what is going on?"

"I uh, I called Scott Baldwin, Alexis refused to help." she said her hands limp as her aunt picked up the paperwork and read, her eyes narrowing. "Can you believe that Johnny did this to me, to me of all people?"

Bobbie was not sure that Lulu was right about the Zachara heir, he had never seemed too into her niece, in spite of what the young woman wanted to believe. Still to do this, while Luke lay in the hospital dying, was the ultimate insult to him and his family. And that a judge signed off on it, made her boiling mad as she called first Scotty and then Tracy Quartermaine.

Getting voice mail for both of them, she had no idea that this was only the tip of the ice berg as Tracy sat in front of the head of the IRS and started telling bald face lies regarding what her husband had done.

Letting her talk, looking at her attorney, hoping that the man would have the sense to stop her before she committed herself to more lies, he was shocked to realize that the other man didn't even seem to be paying attention. "Mrs. Spencer..."

"Quartermaine, I have kept my maiden name. Luke forced me to marry him, there was no way that I was going to take the name Spencer." she said with all the hauteur that she could muster.

"Fine, Ms. Quartermaine, you should reconsider the statement you just made. We have proof of your complicity with Sonny Corinthos, we have the real will of your mother, Lila Quartermaine. How do you think your nephew is going to take the news. How your brother is going to react to finding out you stole this from his son. How do you think your board of directors is going to react."

Tracy wasn't worried, outside of her father, she held the most stock on the board, there was no one who could get her out and that made her sure that this would result in nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Georgie was sitting at a small table in the bistro where she was meeting with Robin and reading the newspaper. When she came to the ads, seeing the small legal notice gave her a slight sense of warmth as she realized that in spite of what Lulu believed, clearly she wasn't going to be Mrs. John Zachara any time soon.

"Well what is up with that smirk?" asked Robin as she hugged her cousin. Seeing the article on the inside page, about the little boy who had snuck onto the jet and how the Italian authorities were now reviewing their policies, she couldn't resist snarking. "All that because some woman couldn't keep her kid from misbehaving."

Georgie folded her newspaper and looked at Robin. "You know, Robin; you are not perfect, in spite of what you seem to think. I know from what dad said this little boy managed to get all the way to the states, he is a smart kid. Are you saying that your children aren't going to be smart. Are not going to be adventurous, because to me, this Mom did everything right. The little boy snuck away, Robin."

"She should have kept a better eye on him." she said rolling her eyes.

Georgie laughed then said "Robin your kids are going to hate you, you are going to be one of those helicopter moms, who hover over her kids until they are either so scared to walk out the front door at the age of eighteen or who rebel and run away. Seriously, I can't wait for you to meet her, my guess you eat your words."

With that, she stood and ignored the reminder that they were planning on having an early dinner together. "Robin, try the crow, I heard it is best served with a side of mustard to make it more palpable."

Leaving, she shook her head as she saw Carly entering the bistro with her husband and a red head that reminded her of someone but she let it go, let Robin the perfect deal with whatever Carly dished out.

Carly had seen the dark haired woman sitting alone and had begun to approach her but her husband grabbed her arm and said "No, we are here for a romantic dinner, you can stalk after your so called best friends ex fiancee at a later date."

"I wasn't going to..." Seeing Lorenzo turn away from her, she gritted her teeth and stayed in her seat, she had just wanted to find out if Robin had heard from Jason, nothing more. Mainly because she had bigger fish to fry than Robin Scorpio, especially if she was correct in what she suspected.

Even a visit to Laura at the nuthouse had done nothing to reassure her. The woman had just sat there, like a lump of clay as Carly had demanded to know what she knew of Elizabeth's son.

Johnny was at the diner when he saw Georgie entering and waited for her to arrive at the counter. "Hi."

"Hello." she replied then looked at Mike Corbin and asked if her order was ready.

"May we talk." he asked.

"Why bother?" she asked distantly as she turned to look at him. "Johnny, the problem has never been what happened the night you got drunk, I get that she lied and made it into more than it was. My problem has always been that you didn't tell me what she was doing. Then left me alone to face the rest of it alone."

"I have tried to tell you I am sorry." he reminded her. "I just didn't want you to be hurt by what was going on, you know that, Georgie. Then later on, you told me to leave, I did what you said."

Georgie saw Mike returning, paid her bill and took her take out bag. Looking at Johnny, she signed and said "We both know that she was lying about being pregnant. Johnny you are still covering for her. No one knows that she lied, only the two of us know the complete truth. If I had at any point felt you regretted covering for her, I might have let this go, but even now, even years later, you are still doing so.

When Johnny didn't say a word, she continued "Maybe I was too young, maybe your life style was too much for me like Maxie said. Either way, what we had is done, because Johnny when it counted you went to the hospital with her, while I sat there bleeding from a bullet wound given to me by your dad; you never came to see me as I lived a life of pain learning to walk again. As I mourned my child."

Johnny flinched as Georgie nodded at Mike then left the diner, wishing he could tell her the truth, but the truth was even uglier. That Georgie had been shot he hadn't known, no one had told him when he had returned to the house after helping the Jax brothers get the only boat working again. Nik had approached him, had decked him stating that his father had hurt Lulu, that she was miscarrying her child even as they spoke.

He had known he wasn't the father, but he had believed her when she supposedly 'confessed' that her pregnancy was as the result of being attacked by Logan Hayes, the man who had attended the ball with Georgie. He had tried to speak to her, had foolishly repeated the lies of the Spencer family, unaware that Lulu had not been raped, that she had in fact been dating the other man in secret.

Later on that same day at the hospital, after staying with Lulu during her supposed miscarriage, he had been walking the halls and had heard Jax defending himself to Mac Scorpio as to why he had immediately left for the shore after Johnny had brought Lulu onto the boat and left Georgie behind.

Johnny had wondered what was going on, only to find out that his father had been shooting at Lulu for lying to him, had been after the blond for her lies and had accidentally shot Georgie who tried to reason with the old man, had tried to protect the woman she had thought was carrying his child.

Georgie, who had ended up paralyzed as a result for almost six months...

Georgie who if she had gotten treated sooner would not have gone through that much pain...

Georgie who he had only learned afterwords had found out she was pregnant the same day that Lulu had announced he was the father of her child. A pregnancy that had ended as the result of a bullet from his fathers gun.

He had heard Lulu speaking to Lucky and her old man when he had learned the truth. That the night he had passed out, Lucky had drugged him, then Luke had gotten her onto the Crimson Point grounds with Trevor Lansings help. That he had never touched the blond and that she had been able to lie to him so convincingly because of help from Maxie Jones, who had supplied the pills from GH.

He kept the secret regarding who the real father was because Logan had died at his hands when the other man had attacked him. Johnny knew that the truth would have done him no good. That it would have in fact made him look guilty of Logan's murder instead of the case of self defense that it had been.

So he had kept quiet, watching from afar as the woman he loved dealt with her pain all alone, promising himself that at some point he would find out where Luke had stashed the evidence of his part in Logan's death.

He had found it two weeks ago and had spent the last few days reeling from the truth. That Logan HAD not died as the result of the beating he had given him, but the result of a hit and run driver. That Luke had used what he had done to cover up that he had killed Scott Baldwin's son...

Early the next day, flowers were being sent to the Haunted Star, the Spencer family was dressing in black, Dillon and his mother were arguing about attending the services as several things were happening that would change Port Charles forever.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Bobbie sat down at her kitchen counter with the two local newspapers, the one that the Quartermaines owned and the local tabloid. She was dreading reading the obits she had written for her brother and nephew but she knew it had to be done.

Looking at the front page, she frowned, not even a blurb about Luke being a former mayor who had passed away on the Herald. Opening it up, she quickly perused the front section, then decided that it had to be in the local area. Opening the second section her frown deepened when there was nothing about Luke, yet an article on a clever cat.

Deciding that Tracy must have been mad at Luke, she decided to just make sure that the obit was what she had written. Finding the last page of the last section, she quickly went to the letter S, but all it read was their names and their date of births and deaths.

Turning to the tabloid, knowing that it would have much, much more, she was steeling herself to read a lurid account of her brother's life and death and at least an article noting Lucky's, she hissed when she saw there was nothing, not even a death notice.

Just as she was ready to close it, she saw the name Spencer in the comments line, where readers could call in and have their opinions put in the paper no matter the subject. Bobbie pulled back in shock at the horrible, horrible things in it.

_Spencer and his son is dead, good. That was one vote I made that was a huge mistake._

_The Spencer boy was such an idiot, I saw him where I work, always with a blond woman, funny, I saw his wife once and she was a brunette. _

_Kid got away with attacking that girl in Kelly's, always wondered who and how Spencer bribed that judge. Good riddance._

_Wow, I thought Spencer was already dead, oh well, who knows maybe we will get lucky and Corinthos will croak soon._

Bobbie counted, there were forty two comments that day, over half were about her brother and there wasn't a single positive one. Debating calling the editor, she didn't bother in spite of wanting to shout at the man about the respect her brother deserved. She knew it would be a waste of time, he had always had it in for Lucky.

Dropping the papers in the trash, she picked up her phone to call Tracy only to be told by the maid that Ms Quartermaine had already left for the day. "I guess I will see her at the services."

Hanging up, she went to shower and dress. Turning on the radio, knowing at least they weren't owned by the Quartermaines, she expected to hear at least one comment about her brother and nephew.

She wasn't wrong, but the comments had Bobbie crying in her shower as they tore Luke to shreds and made it out like poor Lucky wasn't an innocent in what Helena did, but that he should have been in prison years before.

Just when she couldn't take anymore, she heard a call in comment about Lucky's wife and was shocked to hear that Sam was in jail, awaiting extradition from Port Charles to Florida in regards to a murder case with special circumstances.

Having lived in Florida, Bobbie realized that meant it was a possible death penalty case, so as she got dressed, she quickly called Sonny, only to reach his voice mail yet again.

As she went downstairs to where her family would be waiting, all she could do was put one foot in front of the other, her mind reeling from the hits it had taken that morning.

Lucas looked at his mother as she came down the stairs dressed completely in black and knew that she had no idea what was on the Internet regarding Lucky. While he wished he could say it wasn't true, they had everything, including that his cousin had stabbed him and hadn't gone to jail for it.

"Sweetie, I really wish you would reconsider staying in town for a few more weeks." she said with a sigh as she looked at her son.

"Mom, I have to get back to school." he said firmly then when she asked where his dad was, he admitted "Since Carly is attending, he is not coming."

"What?!"she asked not needing any more bad news. "Does he realize that I need him, that more than likely Carly won't even bother to show up?"

"Mom, look, I uh, this is difficult because I love you both, but dad made it clear that he has no intentions of mourning Lucky. Not after he never paid when he attacked me." her son told her.

"IT WASN'T LUCKY'S FAULT." she snapped as her eyes began to water. "He was sick, Helena did a number on his brain, why does everyone seem to forget her part in this?"

"Mom, to be honest, I am only attending for your sake. I have always thought it was stupid that he wasn't at least admitted into Roselawn." he said with a shrug. "I am sorry if that hurts your feelings, but I couldn't stand Lucky and as for Uncle Luke, well he just took and took from you, from the diner and never did any work. He was a user."

"LUCAS, how dare you? That man was a hero. My brother saved the world."

"Mom, that was an accident and years ago. Since he came home, what has he done? Been a drunk, conned people, stole, and married a woman for her money, yeah, some hero." he muttered only for his mother to slap him.

Holding his hand to his face, Lucas looked at her then said "You're the only person who believes differently Mom. And so that you know, I think I have changed my mind. If you want to believe your delusions, I won't stand here and lie and say that Luke Spencer was anything other than what he really was. A sad pathetic drunk who raped his wife, turned his children into carbon copies of his wife and himself and used anyone in his path."

"Get out, if you can't be there and honor your uncle, I don't want you around me." she said her voice breaking at how her son turned on his family. "My brother saved me..."

"Your brother turned you into a hooker, Mom, instead of getting an honest job." he said then when she looked at him, he added "And you still just make excuses for him. Lucky attacked that girlfriend of his, and it was her fault according to our family. Lulu tried to trap an innocent man into marriage and another into a rape charge, then Luke killed someone and tried to blackmail the same man, causing Georgie you do know who Georgie is, Mom. My cousin, the innocent young woman that lost her child, who was paralyzed because the great Spencer hope, Lulu was faking a miscarriage."

When his mother just began her usual spiel about how it was all a mistake, Lucas looked around his mother's brownstone for what he realized was probably the last time and said "Oh, Mom one more thing."

"What going to remind me about your sister sleeping with your father."she said bitterly.

"Nah, you deal with that everyday by ignoring it. I just wanted to let you know that Uncle Luke and Lucky are trending on Yahoo and it isn't complementary ." with that, Lucas left, not giving a damn that his mother had no one to take her to the services. He was sure that her self delusions regarding her brother and nephew would get her there just fine.

Johnny arrived at the station early. Seeing Mac in his office, with shaking hands he put down the file in front of the man and said "We need to talk."

Mac looked at the young man he had once respected and said "Why would I talk to you?"

"Because you need to know the truth." he said then pulled out the thumb drive. "I covered this up for Georgie's sake and it still cost me her love."

Mac watched as his eldest daughter was shown on screen stealing hospital drugs, then handing them off to Lucky Spencer. What really made it bad was the audio clearly showed she knew what was going to happen and who the victim was. "Why didn't you come to me before this?"

"For Georgie's sake, and yours in a way." he said with a sigh as he showed him the rest of the file. Mac read it, then went to pull the corresponding police files. When the pictures matched up like he expected them to he asked the other man why the hell he had lied

"Lulu had told me she was raped by Logan. I had beat him up earlier that day after seeing him hanging around Georgie. She wasn't listening to me, and I was terrified he might hurt her the way I thought he had Lulu. You should know, Maxie was also part of that lie."

Mac sat there, behind his big desk, looked at the man on the other side and said "Why did you wait so long to tell the truth, with all of this, you could have explained and I would have listened."

"I had to get this file back from Spencer." he said. "Luke was working with Trevor Lansing, he had all of the proof."

"And all this time... for the last few years..."

"I had no choice but to stay away from Georgie. He threatened to release the altered tape of my beating Logan and we both know that Scott Baldwin hates me." he said looking at Mac. "There is something else, Lucky and Maxie, they uh, if I revealed the truth, uh,...

Closing his eyes, Mac said "What else did my daughter do?"

"Look, I am hoping I heard wrong, but... well, Maxie is how Lucky knew Elizabeth Webber was a patient at Mercy all those years ago. She tried to 'save' him when she was a kid. She has also known of a few crimes he committed, she made the evidence disappear at the station Mac. Uh, damn, this is not going to be pretty but the bullet that hurt Georgie. We never found my dad's gun and the bullet didn't match the one that hit Lulu in the arm did it?"

Mac put it together as he recalled that Jerry Jacks, Sonny, and Lucky had all had guns at one point during that night. "Did she know? Did Maxie help cover up for Lucky?"

"She knew that Lucky was high that night, that he fired at my dad, did she know that the bullet she removed from the evidence locker was the one that hit her sister, I truly don't know sir. I just... I just know that it would kill Georgie if she ever found out the truth. Its why I have stayed quiet for so long." he said.

Mac looked into the younger man's tormented eyes then said "So you let Georgie think that the reason you stayed away was that you didn't care, but in truth... you were covering for Maxie."

"She thinks I was protecting Lulu, but... Mac, it would destroy Georgie, she already lost her bio parents, our child, I couldn't take Maxie away." he said.

Mac lifted his phone, called his house and grimaced at what he was told. "Robin if you see Maxie, keep her with you and call me."

Carly woke up alone, wondering where her husband was. Entering the main part of the large suite, she was annoyed to find that his assistant was in the room eating breakfast with Lorenzo.

"Lorenzo a word." she spat out and when he had joined her at the doorway she snapped out "Why is Lisa here. Can't she get something to eat while out running around for you."

"Carly it is called common courtesy." he pointed out. "We are going over the list of things I need done, I was going to eat anyhow and invited her to join me. What was I supposed to do, sit there and eat in front of her?"

"Why not, she is only your assistant." she stated. "Its her job."

"Her job." Lorenzo repeated as he came to realize that what he had suspected had been happening. Carly had been ordering Lisa around like she was her personal serf. "Carly it is almost time for us to head over to the Haunted Star, maybe you should shower and change."

Annoyed by the change of subject, she looked at the clock, grimaced at the time and went to do what he said. She didn't want to attend this service, but she knew it would look bad if she didn't.

Lorenzo turned around, apologized to Lisa and found himself once again regretting his choice in wife. When Carly returned a half hour later, Lisa had left to go finish his list. "We are flying out immediately after the services, Carly. I have a meeting in Madrid."

Jason was grateful that Elizabeth had listened to his suggestion and stayed at the Hardy home. Both had agreed with Lucky dead it was safe for Cameron and her to be there with just a few guards.

Entering the police station, he was escorted to Mac's office and found Johnny already inside. Seeing the DA entering, he listened to what the man had to say and then said he would have to speak to Elizabeth about it, but that they weren't too eager for that many people to know about the little girl they had lost.

"I can understand, Mr. Morgan. I am a father too. As to this other woman, this Laura Spencer, I was told she is in a mental institution?" he asked looking at Mac who verified and explained the circumstances.

"Mrs. Alcazar has a lot to answer for." he said with a sigh. "I do have to let you know that Mrs. Spencer is asking for you."

Seeing Jason's confusion, he said "Sam McCall Spencer."

"I would like to speak to her too." he stated then followed the officer who had entered to the private room. When Sam entered in orange prison garb and hand cuffs, he waited until she was seated then said "Sam, there is nothing more I can do for you."

"I get that, you think I don't know a con when I see one. This was all about Sonny getting my daughter, well he will pay and so will you."she spat out. "You just wait and see."

Jason leaned in and said "Damien Spinelli gave you up, I know that you had him looking for Elizabeth Webber and her son. And I know why."

Grimacing, she said "So?"

"What you didn't know, Lucky isn't the father of her son. I am." he said and saw her blanch as she got that she had fucked up. "Yeah, Cameron is no more related to the Spencers than I am. Sam, do your time quietly then go see your daughter. Sonny is selfish but I guarantee that he won't keep you from your kid once you get out of jail."

Sam looked at him and said "You bastard, you know what they have on me, I won't get out of jail."

"Sam, if you don't want to do the time, don't commit the crime." he retorted.

"If you don't get me out, I will see Sonny and you out. Get you sent to prison too." she taunted.

"Sam, anything you have it will be on Sonny. And Sonny would rather die than go to jail, so go ahead, tattle on him." he replied as he walked out the door. "You were my last favor for Sonny, I owe him nothing and will take great pleasure in watching him fall."

Gulping as her biggest threat didn't even make him blink, Sam went back to her cell then asked for her public defender. "I want you to go to the FBI. Offer up all I have on Sonny Corinthos."

"Doing this will get you killed." he warned.

"I have nothing left to lose." she responded.

Georgie watched from the doorway as her sister left to attend Lucky Spencer's funeral. "Georgie, why didn't you stop her?"

Turning to Robin, she said "Why, Maxie has always done exactly what she pleases, why should this time be any different."

Walking away she asked Robin to meet her in the park later. "I am so not in the mood for Maxie's drama."

"That sounds like fun, I have to go visit Laura at Shadybrook. I can't figure out why her protocol isn't working. Her brain activity is normal, her blood work shows that it is effective, but she is still sitting there unresponsive."

"Are you sure she isn't faking it. After all she has a murder charge hanging over her head in regards to Rick Webber." Georgie joked only half kidding.

Robin who had looked into everything else, thought about it and said "She might be, I have a way to find out. Thanks for the idea, Georgie. See you at the park, around four okay?"

Watching Robin leave, Georgie was just going to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee when her father walked in with Johnny. "What is he doing here?"

"I asked him to come and tell you the whole truth. Georgie, what he is about to tell you, he isn't lying. I have the evidence." with that, Mac left, knowing exactly where to find his other daughter.

Johnny looked at Georgie then at the sofa. Before sitting down, he locked the door then said "It all starts with when we met..."

Lorenzo's driver rolled down the partition and said "Sir, are you sure this is where this funeral is. There are very few cars in the area. It looks deserted."

Carly just nodded and then pulled out her phone and listened to her mother's message. "Well she said it was to be at ten thirty for family. Maybe the rest of the mourners are running late."

Getting out of the limo, Lorenzo escorted his wife down the gangplank while looking around puzzled. Inside, Carly greeted her mother who was tense and then Lulu who was looking around clearly confused.

Seeing the flowers, Carly went to see if Jason had sent anything and wasn't really surprised not to see some. But what did surprise her was that there were none from the Quartermaines, none from the city. None from any of the long time Port Charles community.

There was a bouquet from Maxie, a few large arrangements from out of town Spencers and another from Nik but nothing else. Hearing footsteps, she turned, then frowned when she saw the petite blond who had been having an affair with Lucky, Lesley Webber and several red heads.

One that reminded her oddly enough of Lorenzo's assistant but she ultimately dismissed it when she got closer to the woman.

Hearing mutters of where was everyone, Carly moved to where her mom was and asked "Where are Monica and Alan and why isn't Tony and Lucas here?"

"I told Lucas if he couldn't respect his uncle not to come." she stated with a glare at the pictures of her two deceased family members. She had requested larger pictures but the studio had told her they were out of the large paper to print them on.

"Still Monica and Alan aren't here?" she asked. "Tracy is married to Luke, what was her excuse?"

Scott Baldwin who had come, walked over and ignored Bobbie's annoyed glare said "Tracy was arrested yesterday for IRS and SEC violations."

"Oh."said Carly walking away thinking it couldn't happen to a nicer woman only to realize that Scott was following her. "What do you want?"

"I heard you are divorced from Corinthos. The IRS is looking for him, in regards to the same charges as Tracy. Your uncle didn't declare the earnings on the casino, never paid employee taxes and faked a will with Corinthos help to allow Tracy to claim ELQ and the two men to get stock. Spencer is lucky he is dead, otherwise he would be facing time in a federal penitentiary."

Looking around, seeing the sparse crowd, Carly asked "I gather this is public knowledge?"

"Yeah, something for you to think about. They have proof that Spencer Jr. did a hell of a lot more than hit Elizabeth Webber. They are looking at where the real file went and who took it. Description I heard, Carly was a tall blond. Sound familiar, a tall blond female with a loud mouth."

"That wasn't me, that was A.. uh, I have no idea what you are talking about." she said sweating. Scott Baldwin this happy was never a good think and when he went to speak to Lulu, Carly knew it was time to get out of dodge.

She had just approached Lorenzo about leaving when Father Coames began the service. Trying to leave, she was pissed to realize that she was trapped for at least another hour.

Sonny stunned with Olivia with the news of what he had done, "So you told Danielle her mother wasn't coming back. That was too fast and too cruel, Sonny. We should have handled it slower, let her get used to living with us first."

"I was not losing another daughter, it was bad enough that Alexis managed to keep Kristina and then Ric and her turned my daughter against me. Then the Quartermaines stole Michael, after what AJ did, he owed me a child." he railed.

"Sonny, it will be okay." soothed Olivia as she got him calmed down and went to check his meds. When she saw that the lithium looked at least like how it should, she went to help that poor sweet girl Danielle get used to living with them.

Sonny meanwhile had gone inside and checked with former contacts. With a wide smile as he hung up after the first call, he was relieved by the news that Sam had been flown to her first stop in St. Louis Missouri, then that there was no doubt she would either take the plea offer or be convicted.

Getting a call from his former attorney in Port Charles regarding the IRS and getting the news that they were looking into whether or not he had helped Luke Spencer bribe a judge regarding his son's beating of Elizabeth Webber, he frowned and said "I would have never helped if he had beat her, what he did do was bad enough in scaring her and actually punching her."

As the man spoke, telling Sonny about the stolen hospital records, how they were looking for a mystery loud mouth blond, that Elizabeth was badly beaten with broken bones and serious internal injuries, Sonny felt something he hadn't in a long time, that feeling of someone walking over your grave as the man gossiped with his former client and mentioned the latest rumor.

"So they think she was pregnant at the time, turns out she wasn't actually dating Spencer like his family claimed... that there was another man who was out of town. I over heard one of Scorpio's detectives were investigating things. She fled down, too scared to wait for her love. Rumor is that she was told he was dead."

Getting the news and with an absentminded thank you, Sonny sank down into his chair, then went to look at the stack of newspapers he had flown to him once a week from Port Charles. Looking at the article of the missing boy, the description of him as well as the picture then the mention of his mother, Elizabeth Hardy and he knew... looking up, he said "Jason... Jason is the father of her son."

With closed eyes, Sonny knew that Jason was not going to lift a finger to help him and that any help since he had given him the news had been inadvertent, that he had used up his last favor thanks to that bitch he had been married to. But Sonny knew, he knew that Jason would never turn on Carly and that more than likely she was the one who had blamed him for what had gone down.

Sitting there in his office, in the distance he heard everything he had ever dreamed of happening. Kids who called him dad, a wife who loved him and a large house with servants... all of it he knew would be gone if he didn't find a way to take down Carly, to prove that he was innocent. That he had never helped Luke Spencer that way.

In Port Charles it was a sad group that walked into the wake after the services on the Haunted Star. Seeing the sign that said Kelly's, Lulu who had been reeling from the loss of her daddy realized that at some point a will reading was going to have to take affect. After all her dad had had some assets.

Bobbie who was leading the small group into the diner, her mind reeling from how her friends hadn't show up, how people that owed Luke everything hadn't even had the courtesy to show up at his funeral stopped suddenly when she saw Mac Scorpio and Jason Morgan standing in the room.

Carly looked up and saw Jason, smile and began to rush over to approach her best friend. "Jason, why didn't you come to the services? I needed you, it was terrible."

As she tried to throw herself into his arms, she was shocked when he held her away from him and said "Carly stop right there. I am not here to celebrate the lives that were Luke or Lucky. I am here with Mac."

Turning to the police commissioner, she snarled "You can't arrest him, we both know that he didn't do anything."

"Mrs. Alcazar, for once in your life, you are right. Jason has done nothing for which he deserves to be arrested. He isn't why I am here." Mac said then looking at his eldest daughter, he said "Maxie, I thought I asked you not to attend these services."

"Well someone who loved Lucky had to be there, after all we all know that bitch Elizabeth wouldn't be there, not even after all he did for her." she sniped.

Shaking his head, Mac drew her outside saying he wanted to speak to her, then with a nod towards Jason Morgan and telling Scott he needed to speak to him down at the station immediately drew the only other person who could attest to what Jason was about to say off.

"Dad, I am not going to let you lecture me about this, I mean you know how I would do anything, anything for Lucky. I loved him."

"Anything?"he said taking a good look at his child. "I do know that yes, you would do anything for Lucky. Steal drugs, evidence from my storage room, hell you even covered for the man when he shot your own sister. When he cost her her child and she had to relearn to walk again, did you ever look at her and feel the least bit of guilt, Maxie?"

Maxie looked at him, saw his eyes, saw that he knew everything but he was wrong about one thing. "Dad, what are you talking about? Lucky didn't shoot Georgie."

"Maxie, Sonny, Jerry and Anthony Zachara all had 9mm, the bullet they took out of your sister. I spoke to file clerk at GH. Had them look up your sister's file today, that bullet, it was a 36.6. The only person with that style gun was Lucky. You have been sneaking around, declaring your love for all to hear... for the man who hurt your sister. Who beat Elizabeth Webber so badly that her child died, Maxie."

Seeing the slight shadow of something dark at that news; Mac said coolly."Maxie, I know you told Lucky where to find her at Mercy. I know you did it thinking that it would end them for good, but guess what?"

Seeing her stubborn expression, he stated as the two uniformed officers moved into place. "Elizabeth wasn't dating Lucky, she was trying to help him. She had moved on, this fairy tale dream that his family likes to tell, they knew it was a lie. They knew Elizabeth had ended things with Lucky. Elizabeth's daughter died as a result of what you did, Maxie. And these two are taking you in, you should know, I am not pressing attempted murder charges against you, you are facing enough of them including accessory to rape."

"What?"she asked shocked. "How could I be an accessory to rape?"

His eyes on his daughter he said "When Lucky slipped the drugs into Johnny's drink so that Lulu could get him into her bed, I know exactly what you gave him. I know that you were aware of what those drugs do. When you force someone to participate in a sexual encounter, it is rape, Maxie."

"Men can't be rape by a woman, they have to want it." she snapped.

"Maxie, not with the use of Viagra." he said "What I don't get is why, why would you help hurt your sister this way? What could you have possibly had against Johnny."

Maxie looked at her father then said "I refuse to answer without my attorney present."

"As your father, I am disappointed in you, as the police commissioner, I am always glad to get a dangerous criminal off my streets, and Maxie, you are a clearly an unrepentant repeat offender. I only wish I had done this when you were still a teen, who know maybe then it might have made a difference."

Back inside Kelly's, Lulu saw Maxie being led out of the courtyard in hand cuffs as Mac reentered the room. There was a buzz to the air, but the man didn't approach her aunt, he came to stand in front of Lulu.

"You should know, I will be telling Scott Baldwin the truth about his son, that he didn't attempt to rape you, that it was all a plot to try and extort money from the Zachara family. How your father ran him down in a drunken stupor. I would arrest you for all you have done, but the DA isn't positive that he can get a conviction against you. Who knows, maybe my daughter's attorney will convince Maxie that she will face less time if she gives you up."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." she said her mind telling her she had nothing to worry about, after all she would be with Johnny and he would cover for her.

"Yes you do, oh and Lulu. Johnny and my youngest daughter, they are back together, she knows the truth. My guess is that Georgie finally turns on her sister, as for you. I really would think about leaving town. Immediately."

Walking over to where Bobbie after seeing Lulu's smug smirk, he heard her trying to induce Lorenzo to change his mind on Carly and his leaving town and said "Lorenzo, I need to speak to Bobbie alone."

The dark haired man walked to his wife who was trying to entreat Jason to come and visit her, deliberately avoiding asking about Elizabeth. If he didn't know, she didn't want to possibly be the person to tell him about his ex girl friend.

"Morgan, what is going on with that McCall woman?" he asked.

"Sonny sent her back, she is going to prison and Danielle is staying with Olivia and him." he replied. Beginning to leave, he saw Mac was now talking to Bobbie and then looked around. He could see that most were watching the man speaking to the red headed woman who was shaking her head no as he spoke.

"MAC, I WANT YOU TO LEAVE. HOW DARE YOU COME HERE, TELL ME THESE LIES WHEN LUKE AND LUCKY AREN'T HERE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES." she shrieked."GET OUT!"

Mac did as ordered but several out of town Spencers who were close enough to hear what the man said, quickly made excuses and left themselves until all that were left were Lulu, Lesley, Bobbie and Carly along with Jason and Lorenzo.

Jason said "Bobbie, you should know it looks like Luke and Lucky's death, wasn't an accident."

"What?"she asked in shock. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that this time Lucky and Luke crossed someone who isn't going to let them get away with their crimes. So they paid for them."he said his eyes on Carly who felt a sense of doom. "There were others who were involved, they will also be paying for their part in these lies and manipulations. By the way, Elizabeth is home, here her medical records from when Lucky _only punched her once. _Isn't that what you said, Carly. That she made it out to be worse than it was. That she did it for attention."

As the photos spilled across the counter at Kelly's, Lorenzo and he flinched while Lesley's skin turned white as she looked at the bruises and clearly broken bones then went back to the family fall back excuse. "Helena made him do this, she has to know that Lucky wasn't himself. She was a horrible woman."

"That's just it. Emily ran into Lucky the other day at Jake's, he admitted it outright, that he had meant to do that and much, much worse. That he had intended to rape Elizabeth after he had done all of that."

"No, no that was all on Helena." both Lesley and Bobbie denied.

"No Bobbie, nor was it Helena who covered this up. It was your brother, it was his wife, it was a whole group of people, some of whom did it not for Lucky's sake but because they hated Elizabeth and wanted her gone. Those are the ones I am going to make regret ever being born, because what isn't in those files. What Luke knew, that Sonny knew. Elizabeth wasn't dating Lucky."

"Oh course she was." Lulu protested as she looked at her grandmother having grown up on this story. "They were deeply in love and she was helping to get him out from under Helena's influence when she made him attack Elizabeth."

"No, Elizabeth had ended things, you remember that, don't you Bobbie. You were there at the Intervention when Kevin Collins took Lucky away."he pressed the older woman on the facts. When her eyes couldn't meet his, he said "Yes, you knew. What you didn't know was that Elizabeth and I, we were planning on leaving town when Lucky got well. She felt she should at least help him."

"She owed him, he saved her." stated Carly ignoring the later statement.

"Carly a word of advise, there are times when it is a good think to shut your mouth." Jason said as his ice cold eyes turned on her. "You never know when I might begin to ask you questions that we both know you can't answer."

Grateful that Jason did seem to know her part in this and that he seemed to be protecting her, Carly did as he ordered.

Jason looked at Bobbie then said "Elizabeth was pregnant and Lucky knew when he beat her that night."

"Lucky wouldn't harm Elizabeth, not if he knew she was carrying his child."Lulu protested while Lesley felt her heart stop. She was well aware that there was no way that Elizabeth was carrying Lucky's child.

"Lulu, Lucky and Elizabeth were never intimate." Jason said. "Ask your aunt if you don't believe me. It was my child, but he didn't know that. However Nik wanted Lucky to attack me, not Elizabeth. He got him all riled up, sent him after me, but Lucky found Elizabeth instead because for some reason, Sonny who was supposed to go a meeting, Carly pushed him until he sent me. Odd timing, terrible timing for Elizabeth because your brother almost killed her and our children."

"C-children?"Carly whispered.

"Yes, Elizabeth was pregnant with twins. Our son is ten years old, our daughter didn't make it. Lucky killed her. What is that old testament comment that Sonny liked Carly. An eye for an eye. Or in this case a child for a child. Ask Luke, wait, you can't." he said as he walked towards the door.

Turning to look at them, seeing Lorenzo look at the envelope he had found in front of him, then back toward Jason, he said "And every single person who helped Luke cover for Lucky will get what they did to help turned on them tenfold."

When he had left, Lesley sat there, her eyes unable to pull themselves away from the photos as she thought about her ex husband's niece and what they had allowed to be done to her in the name of protecting Lucky. Lulu heard her phone ringing and went to the kitchen to answer it. "Nik?"

"Lulu my jet is arriving in twenty minutes, if you don't want to go to jail, be on it when it takes off at seven tonight." he ordered then hung up as he went to find his new wife. Jolene had proven to be one of the best decisions he had made in a good long while.

After a fruitless argument with Dr. Denison, Robin was walking down the hallway when she saw Emily Quartermaine. "Em?"

"Robin, hi." she said then looking at the news on the TV asked if she had a few minutes. In the privacy of her room, she filled her friend in on what had happened in the past, what had been going on to solve the problem and why she was now currently a patient at Shadybrook. "Dr. Collins say that now that Lucky is dead it is safe for me to leave."

"My god, Emily." she said her eyes wide as she looked at her friend."Wait, this woman Elizabeth and Jason, they were in love?"

"Yes."she said with a sigh. "I hated it back then because I thought that without Elizabeth being together with Lucky I would lose Nik. I was such an idiot because you had to see them together, Jason adores Elizabeth. It is sort of funny to watch."

Her heart twinging a little at that comment, Robin did ask what she meant. "Well Jason would try to avoid touching Elizabeth, and he would shove his hands into his jeans pocket but they would twitch when she came closer. It was like some part of him was almost compelled to touch her."

"What makes you so certain that things will work out for them now?" she asked. "After all it has been over ten years, Emily."

"Robin, you don't want to try and get in the middle of this." she warned."Seriously, ten days ten weeks or ten years, it won't make a difference between Jason and Elizabeth. Plus they have a son, Robin."

"Oh good point, we all know how far Jason will go for a child that isn't his, imagine how far he would for one that is." she said with a sad sigh as she let go of her very small dream of a future with Jason.

Emily just shook her head, knowing that until Robin saw the two together she wouldn't understand. "Anyhow, why are you here? Has there been a change with Laura, because I have to tell you, she has been acting oddly."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

Telling her about what the nurse had told her, plus what she had said the other day, suddenly Emily began to realize that there might have been another version than hers when Robin made a comment about how she had always thought the younger woman would end up with Lucky and that maybe Laura had too.

Emily said maybe as she walked Robin towards Laura's room. The doctor knocked on the door hoping for a response but not getting one just signed at the protocol still not kicking in as she pushed open the door.

Surprised to see no one there, she stuck her head out and asked the nurse coming down the hall when Laura would be back from testing. "Mrs. Spencer has no tests today. Why would you think she does?"

"Well her chair is still in here and she is gone. Unless they use a different one to take her outside for air." she asked.

The nurse entered the room then went to the closet. Opening the door, she said "Her shoes are gone. I told Dr. Denison that there was something going on with her. She kept muttering stuff for the last few days about making that girl pay for what she did to her son."

"What girl?" asked Robin while Emily began to yank open drawers and search the room. "Emily what are you doing?"

Flipping the mattress off the bed she looked at the nurse and said "Didn't someone make a comment about Nurse Follsby throwing out your newspaper again. That it has been happening a lot. What if it isn't the head nurse, what if it is Laura Spencer stealing your papers."

"Why would that matter?" asked the nurse confused while Robin reminded Emily about her protocol not working.

"I am with Georgie, I think she is faking it." Emily said as she began to yank out the drawers on the dresser and sure enough, behind one there were a stack of recent papers. All with two themes. The death of Luke and Lucky Spencer and the return of Cameron Steven Hardy to his mother.

"Look."

Robin gasped at the words written next to Elizabeth's name, then the bulls eye on Cam. "But surely she wouldn't harm a child."

"Give me your cell phone." When Robin hesitated, clearly in shock, Emily took it from her and dialed Jason muttering softly for him to answer the damn phone.

"MORGAN."

"Thank god, Jason Laura Spencer escaped the hospital, she is looking for Elizabeth and Cam. The last time she escaped they found her on the docks near Spoon Island with a gun. They thought she was going to Nik, but what if she wasn't, what if she was looking for Elizabeth. Her studio, she went to Elizabeth's studio."

Jason felt the other shoe hit the ground, Laura, he had wondered if she was as ill as she had pretended to be before but hadn't really cared, after all she had had no involvement in his life.

Hanging up without even a thank you, Jason realized he was close to the studio as he called his guards who didn't answer at first. When they did, he ordered them to get inside but to avoid scaring Elizabeth or Cam.

Talking to Cody he said "Laura Spencer, she is to be considered a threat and possibly armed. Do not, I repeat do not let her near my family."

With that, he rushed to his SUV and drove to the Hardy home as quickly as possible. Meanwhile at Shadybrook, Robin and Emily had confronted Dr. Denison who still denied it was possible for his patient to be a threat to anyone.

Thrusting the newspaper under his nose, Emily growled. "Do you see this, do you seriously expect us to believe she isn't a threat?"

"Look, Miss, you are here as a patient, you don't get..." The doctor's voice faded as Emily and Robin quickly left the hospital. "Where do we need to check?"

"Wait, I have to call my Uncle Mac." Robin said as they arrived at her car. Getting in the driver's seat, she was about to drive off when Emily reacted with impatience and pushed her further in.

"I am driving, since I know where to look." said the younger woman as she took the keys while Robin lifted herself over the stick shift and into the passenger seat. When Emily started the car and sped out of the parking out, Robin quickly did up her seat belt just as her uncle answered his phone. "Laura Spencer is a threat to Elizabeth Webber, long story but she tried to kill her recently. Dr. Denison thought she was after her son Nik, its why he brought me here. She is missing from the hospital and Emily and I are chasing after her."

With that she hung up while Emily just took the curve ahead without touching the brakes. "Emily, she wouldn't have gotten this far yet, not without a car."

Emily didn't take her eyes off the road as she said "I am not taking any chances, not after what happened with Lucky. Besides, she did it before."

"Okay, but where are we headed." she asked.

"Elizabeth's studio. It was where they found her before." she said as she sped up even more and Robin reached for her phone again. Calling her uncle she warned him where they were and what they were doing. "Please keep us from being stopped."

Letting himself into the house, Jason breathed a sigh of relief as his family were sitting on the sofa giggling. Cam was teasing his mom who who had noticed Jason entering the house.

"Hi daddy." Cam said when he noticed his mother was distracted and turned to see the man in the door. "Guess what, Mommy once grew up in this house."

"I know." he said as he went over to the sofa. Sitting down next to Elizabeth, he pulled Cam onto his lap and tightly hugged his son but worried about scaring him, said "Now why was your mommy laughing when I came in?"

"Because the tickle monster got her." Cam said attempted to tickle his dad only for Jason to get control and then wink at Elizabeth.

As Cam giggled in his dad's arms, Elizabeth said to him. "Now who is going to be saying uncle."

As she tickled her son, Jason just held them both, finding joy in his family's safety. Eventually letting Cam go, he looked at Cody and asked him to take Cam to the swing set in the back yard.

As they left, Elizabeth asked Jason what is going on. "Laura Webber escaped from Shadybrook. Emily called me because she is afraid she is that Laura is looking for you."

Hearing his phone ringing, Jason looked at the caller ID and then answered it. "What is going on?"

The blond kept banging on the door, determined to speak to Jason. After about ten minutes, Carly gave up realizing that Jason wasn't at the penthouse. Returning down the elevator she went to the doorman and demanded to be told where Jason was.

"Mr. Morgan hasn't been living here, Mrs. Corinthos." said the young guard. "I uh, I heard he was staying elsewhere."

"Where?"she snapped.

"I don't know, but if its really important try that bar down near the docks. I heard he goes into there and talks to the bartender all the time." he said sweating and wanting her to get out of there.

Carly sighed with annoyance then went to her rental car. Driving over Jake's, she entered the bar and looked around. Seeing Coleman, she asked him if Jason was there.

"Normally I would tell you none of your business, but I want you gone. Morgan only stops in when he wants to speak to me. My guess is that he is rather busy because the paper says he has a son." Coleman said with a smirk.

Carly just ignored him and walked around, seeing no one she knew, she left. It hit her, she should try that ridiculous studio of Elizabeth, though she hated the idea of his being there.

Entering the run down building, her phone began to ring. Seeing it was her husband; Carly considered not answering it, but knew she should. "You said I had three hours."

Lorenzo thought about his plans and what Morgan had given him. He was slowly but surely coming to realize the mistake he had made marrying Carly but he wanted children. He had already decided that Corinthos had been the smart one, he would get her pregnant and then dump her.

"You do, I just want you to meet at the airport, I have already settled our hotel bill." he said then seeing his assistant entering, smiled as the young woman held out the paperwork for his signature and mimed writing.

Hanging up, Lorenzo signed the papers then as she began to leave, he asked her if she would be interested in becoming his assistant at the office, not his personal assistant. "It would mean less time around my wife."

Carly grimaced as she walked up the stairs towards that dumpy little place that Elizabeth Webber used to live in. Hearing the sound of someone inside, she began to bang on the door only to realize that it wasn't closed all the way.

"Jason, Jason..."

Entering she stopped, shocked to find Laura Spencer standing there. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Where is she, where is Elizabeth?" asked the blond.

"Who the hell cares, where is Jason?" snapped Carly. "What are you doing here?"

"I am looking for Elizabeth." was Laura's answer and Carly was about to reply who cares again when she saw what was on the easel paint stand. "Laura, why do you have a gun?"

Outside the two young women who had rushed up to find the older woman froze and stepped back. Calling Mac, Robin gave him the news. "She is at the studio apartments down by the docks; Emily said Elizabeth used to live here."

Downstairs the police had arrived and Mac walked up the stairs as silently as he could, not wanting a hostage situation, even with Carly as the victim. "What is going on?"

Robin sshed him and Mac moved closer only to hear Carly suggesting that Laura leave and go track down Elizabeth. "No, I know that she will return here, she always does."

Carly just wanted to get away so after a few minutes she said "Why not try the Hardy house?"

Emily went still as she listened to what Carly was saying. It was clear that she wasn't scared of Laura, so what excuse could there be for her giving this clearly insane person any help.

Robin sneezed, then looked around, clearly horrified as they heard Carly asking who is out there. Emily looked at Mac then hurried inside in spite of knowing this wasn't a good idea. "Oh hey, wait, Carly why are you in Elizabeth's studio? Laura, what are you doing out of Shadybrooke?"

Mac hoped her playing dumb helped but when this was over he was wringing Emily Quartermaine's neck for putting herself in danger.

"What are you doing here, Emily?" asked Laura, her hand moving towards the gun, "Were you looking for Elizabeth? Do you know where she is?"

"Elizabeth, yes, she lives in Italy. Didn't you know, she moved there a few years ago." she said as she edged deeper into the studio. Seeing Carly's glare, she said "So, Carly you didn't tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for your brother, he isn't staying at his penthouse." she said.

"Jason doesn't live here, Carly." she said with a smirk. "He bought a house and hasn't even told anyone in the family. Why don't you try the warehouse?"

"I am not leaving, I think you know more than you are saying." she retorted as she moved towards Laura. Carly wasn't sure why, but something was telling her not to leave. Besides, this way if Laura did what she thought the insane woman wanted to then the Elizabeth problem would cease to exist.

But how to help Laura get out of here, without making it look like she helped the woman to escape?

In the hallway, Mac heard Laura speaking again and frowned a bit at what she was saying.

"Why, why couldn't Lucky fall for you?" she asked Emily. "I would have been so happy, you would have been the perfect girl for him. Its what I told Nik, you, you should have been meant for him. The all American girl for the all American boy."

Confused, Emily asked "What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth, she is ethereal, her looks are those of a Princess, like I said, Nik should have gone after Elizabeth, but you, you just didn't seem to realize that I meant for Lucky and you to be together. Then Helena had to interfere, had to use you in her plans. I told her, I tried to make her realize that the best way to get Nik to want Elizabeth was for Lucky and you to get together, but no, Jason had to interfere."

"Laura, but Nik and I got together, while Lucky and Elizabeth had ended."she stated while watching as suddenly Carly turned towards the blond and began to speak.

"Wait, you wanted... but Nik married Courtney." she pointed out.

"That tart, she wasn't what I wanted for my son to marry. She has no breeding, her looks are the result of chemicals and a doctor, whereas Elizabeth, Elizabeth was from years and years of good breeding. Elizabeth would have made a great princess, but no, she wanted Lucky. Lucky wanted her, so she should have waited, should have chosen my son."

At that point all were confused as she began to rant. "Wait, Laura I don't get it, did you want Elizabeth with Lucky or with Nik?" asked Carly while outside Mac asked his men if any of them had a shot.

"Sorry sir, no sight lines into the studio." he was told.

"I wanted her to marry Nik, produce his future heir, but Lucky, Lucky wanted her and I owed Lucky after all the terrible things that had happened. So what Lucky wanted, Lucky deserved." she said while glaring at Emily. "Why didn't he want you?"

"I-er-I, uh, I don't know." said a confounded Emily as she got that Laura truly was bonkers. "Laura, why don't you let me take you back to the hospital."

"No, no, I must find Elizabeth. She is the only one who can help me save Lucky."

"Laura, Lucky and Luke are both dead." snapped Carly now annoyed to realize that there was no way that Laura was going to actually kill Elizabeth.

"No, no it is Helena she faked his death again." the blond said almost entreating Carly to agree. "You know that I am right, she always, always fakes Lucky's death. Besides, I have a secret weapon, I know how to make Emily help me."

"Okkkayyyy..."Carly by now was just wanting to get the hell out of there.

Laura looked at Emily then said "You know it, you know that Lucky loves Liz, that they have a permanent lock. Just say it with me, c'mon, please Emily, please, just say it with me."

Emily felt sick to her stomach as she looked at the blond. "You knew, you knew that Helena was controlling me."

"No, not until Lucky told me." she said as she looked at the younger girl. "I was so angry when I found out, if she wanted to control you, why didn't she make you fall for Lucky. It would have worked out so much better, but no, she used you to make Lucky do what she wanted."

"Uh, Laura that is kind of the purpose of brainwashing." said Carly rolling her eyes. Then looking at Emily said "You were brainwashed."

"Yes, Helena somehow managed to manipulate me into giving Lucky a letter that Elizabeth wrote to him saying goodbye for when Jason and she left."

"But no, Jason wasn't leaving with Elizabeth, he went away on business for Sonny." Carly said. "I made sure of it."

Robin in the hallway listened as Carly ranted about how she had convinced Sonny that she needed him in town and to have him send Jason. How she had done so because she had seen how that muffin faced bitch was tricking Jason into believing she was in danger from Lucky. "As if..."

"Carly, Lucky attacked Elizabeth verbally all the time. It was going to escalate to physical abuse, it was only a matter of time."

"No, no,that was because Helena wanted him to. He would have never have done so otherwise, Lucky loves Elizabeth... she is his permanent lock." stated Laura as she looked at her gun that was no in her hand. "Lucky needs Elizabeth, they belong together."

"OH. MY. GOD." Emily felt sick as Laura began repeating the exact same mantra she had all those times she was in Helena's control. "Laura, you need to listen to me, you don't know what you are saying."

"Emily, you know that I am right." she said with a beautiful smile on her face and glazed eyes. "Lucky loves Elizabeth, he needs Elizabeth they belong together, she is his permanent lock."

"Okay, I don't care one way or another." said Carly as she moved towards the door. "Either way, I am out of here. Emily if you see your brother tell him I am looking for him."

With that, she went through the door and found herself flat against the wall and a hand tightly covering her mouth.

"Scream Carly and I will shoot you myself." snapped the newly arriving Detective Taggert as Kevin Collins moved in closer to listen to the two women still inside.

Mac nodded and Taggert took the other woman down the stairs while back inside Emily was sick to realize that poor Laura was still under Helena's control somehow.

When the woman keep muttering about how Elizabeth owed Lucky how she should have never tried to break up with him, Emily asked with a sick feeling in her stomach. "Oh my god, it was you, you gave Helena Elizabeth's letter. How did you get it?"

"I saw her, I came to speak to her, to get her to realize that Lucky needed her, that they were the new generation Luke and myself, but she didn't see me. I saw her though, hiding that letter with the rest of that stuff in the floor board."

"I took it, read it and then..." Laura's voice trailed off as she didn't recall what she had done with the letter.

"You gave it to Helena." said Emily who continued "She gave it to me to give to Lucky."

"No, no, you must be wrong. I didn't give her the letter, why would I? I wanted Elizabeth to deny that she wrote it, to tell me that she still loved my little boy, my precious little angel." she said with a loving sigh.

Pointing the gun at Emily she said "Did you do it, did you help ruin things for my son. Did you make Elizabeth fall out of love with Lucky. Did you do that, did you?"

Outside, Mac crept even closer just as he heard the sound of skin hitting skin then Laura snapping. "That is the very least you deserve, you Jezebel. You did this, didn't you, you were the reason that Lucky hurt her, you wanted him to hurt her."

Emily who had cupped her cheek as the pain exploded heard the sound of the safety coming off and looked up to see the barrel of a gun pointed directly at her.

"Laura, put it down." snapped Mac from the entrance of the studio as Kevin entered but didn't go too far inside.

"No, no it is her fault. She is the reason that my poor sweet little boy hurt Elizabeth, she made him do it. She ruined his life, she knew what Helena was doing..."

"NO, ENOUGH!" snapped Kevin Collins hoping she would come out of whatever she was under. "Lucky was out from under the brainwashing when he attacked Elizabeth. You need to face it, Laura. It was Lucky, all Lucky."

"NO! NO! NO!" she cried out. "It wasn't. It was Helena. It had to be."

"Laura, no, it wasn't Helena, not any longer. It was your son, he beat up an innocent young woman, he was going to rape her. Ask Emily, he told her all about it."

"I won't ask her, Emily is a liar, she tells lies. She lied about Nik cheating on her, she lied about not knowing where Elizabeth was, she lied about loving Nik. About Lucky all the time, she is a liar, Lucky would never do that, no, no, he wouldn't. Luke wouldn't do that, not my Luke."

With that Laura began to aim at Emily who felt sorry for the woman who clearly had lost it. Whether as a result of her brainwashing or from being unable to face the truth about her son, and maybe just maybe about her own past, it was clear that Laura Spencer was not in control of her own senses.

"Emily duck." snapped Mac only for the young intern to rush at the confused blond.

There was a struggle for the gun, as Laura refused to relinquish it, she was positive that it was all Emily's fault and Emily was determined to help save Laura like Kevin Collins had saved her.

The gun was pointed at Emily's heart for a second, then at the ground when she tried to pry Laura's hand off the trigger, but it was too late. The gun came up, the bullet left the barrel and red color gushes all over the blond's outfit.

"Laura, Laura, lets get you down." she said as she wretched the gun away from the now stunned woman and let Mac take it from her lifeless hands while the weight of the woman took them both to the ground.

"What, what happened?" she was asking weakly of Emily as Laura reached up and touched her chest. "Why am I wet?"

"Its going to be okay." Emily said even as she knew it wouldn't. Within seconds the sad woman had no pulse and all any of them could do is listening to the sirens of the ambulance as it neared the studio.

Robin stood in the doorway, stunned as Emily reached up and closed Laura Spencers eyes for the last time. Mac asked the young intern if she was hurt only for her to numbly nod no.

"Emily, this wasn't your fault." Kevin said when he saw her eyes beginning to tear up. "There was no preventing this. We had no idea, none how sick she was."

Emily looked up at the doctor then said "But we should have, we should have known that there was something wrong. When the truth about Luke and her came out, someone should have questioned a rape victim marrying her rapist. Instead we all tried to make it out into this grand love story. But there is no love story, not when it starts out with violence."

As the police and coroner staff rushed into the room; Kevin escorted Emily down the stairs and into a waiting ambulance. With a call to her parents, he gave them the sad news then asked them to meet them at the hospital. All that was left was the paperwork, the reunions and the tears...

TBC


End file.
